Dante's Street
by tayloristhedoctor
Summary: Dipper returns to Gravity Falls and meets again with Bill Cipher - except now Bill is the one who needs help. Dipper must choose what he is willing to sacrifice, and what balances the line between good and evil. Before, he had Mabel. Now, he is alone and no longer the sole owner of his mind.
1. Chapter 1

Dipper stepped off the bus and immediately melted into the never-forgotten summer of Gravity Falls, Oregon. The whole town seemed the way he had left it, five years before.  
The pines trees swayed in the wind and seemed to whisper to one another. A slight breeze blew over the town like a lullaby, and the world seemed to be quieted by it. The usually cloudy sky took on a rusty appearance as the sun dipped its fingertips into the horizon. The mountains glistened, and the canyon's caramel colors seemed to drip down and color the town.

He sighed heavily as he remembered the old times he had here with Mabel, his sister. She was gone with some friends to Alaska for the summer. So here he was, back in the mysterious town: alone. Not that he was really alone, with his Grunkle Stan, Ford, and Wendy. It was just not with Mabel.

Dipper started walking to the Shack he had called his home many years ago. It seems just like yesterday he found the first journal, discovered the monsters and secrets of Gravity Falls, and fought Bill Cipher.

Bill Cipher.

D ipper hadn't thought of that name in a long time. The only time that name was in his nightmares, which he seemed to be getting every night nowadays. He could not remember the dream once he woke, but he knew they were the same ones every night. Maybe Gravity Falls could help clear his mind.

He continued to walk down the path. It was worn with footprints big and small, human and non-human alike. The trees let in parts of sun rays, making a chess board of light along the path that led to the Shack.

And there is was, hidden among the trees, in shambles as usual.

The truck wasn't there, so Dipper knew that Ford and Stan were out. He went to settle in before they came. Dipper turned the knob and opened the door. Immediately the rustic smell of settled wood and dust hit him. The Shack wasn't covered in cobwebs, but it was obvious that Stan and Ford had not been here long. The dust particles danced in the sun rays, and the floorboards creaked with every foot step. He quickly placed his belonging in the attic, and shut the door. The empty bed on the right was too hard to look at. Dipper slipped out before tears could start to form.

He texted Ford that he was home, and sent a photo of him with Stan's famous fez on his head. Ford replied, saying that they would be home later. Ford went to exorcise the old grocery mart Wendy's squad had once terrorized.

Having time to himself, and getting tired of the dusty atmosphere of the Shack, Dipper walked around the premises. He wandered into a path he seemed not to remember. It was still full of trees and speckled sunlight, but none of it was familiar. This path winded down, and the further it went, the more silent the forest got. The trees stopped whispering. The chattering of squirrels went silent. The rustling of the leaves seemed to forget their rhythm. Dipper got an eerie feeling but continued the path, and then stopped when he realized what lied at the end of the path.

His nightmares flashed back to him. All of them, ending with _him._ He was the reason for Dipper's therapy and why he started getting anxiety attacks. He was the reason for Mabel's sleepwalking and depression. The essence of Evil had drawn him here. This trip to Gravity Falls was not for Dipper, Ford, Stan, or anyone else. It was for _him._

Bill Cipher.


	2. Chapter 2

The statue stood in the middle of the path. Moss had slowly started to grow over it, and little chucks had broken off due to no maintenance. To anyone else, it would seem like a statue out of place, or an old attraction.

But to Dipper, he knew it as the corpse of the demon that had followed him since that single summer vacation. The ruins of a monster who claimed to know the secrets of the universe, and tore reality apart. It was a demon that haunted his dreams, lurked in his shadows, and even possess him.

Cold sweat started to drip down his face. The hairs on his neck tingled as his heart raced more and more. He could feel every single muscle tense in his body, as he looked upon the statue that seemed to ruin his life. Yet, as terrified as he was, he could not seem to walk away.

What terrified him even more was that the statue seemed to call to him. It had an aura, one that reeked of darkness and yet drew Dipper closer to it. Although he wished to run away and go back to the safety of the Shack, to never see this statue again, Dipper slowly creeped closer and closer to it.

It got until he was a few paces away, and he had been in front of this statue for a while. Dipper didn't know whether he should just run, or take the chance of facing his greatest fear again.

"Dammit, here goes nothing." He walked over and plumped himself down in front of the statue. Dipper crossed his legs and examined the statue very closely. He could see the moss, the cracks, and the stain of mud and rain. Webs wrapped around the hat and the fingers stretched out towards the sky.

The aura had seemed to disappear.

He couldn't figure out why it had stopped calling to him, or what he was supposed to do now. Dipper walked around the statue, trying to see if there was a secret compartment or switch he had to pull, like on the day he found his first journal.

The journals. They held all the secrets of Gravity Falls, and now they were gone. Burnt up to be seen never again, by Bill himself.

This was not the time to talk about the journals. Dipper needed to figure out what was going on with the statue.  
He realized that there was only one place he didn't look at. One place he avoided unconsciously. Dipper sat down again, in front of the statue. He took a deep breath, and stared deep into its eye.

A while flash, and then nothing.


	3. Chapter 3

He woke up with a jolt, and saw nothing. Everything around him was white, no walls, no ceilings, and even though he was now sitting up, didn't seem like there was really a floor either. Dipper wasn't sure where he was, and the last thing he could remember was staring the statue in the eye.

From some distance away, he heard a familiar maniacal laugh. It echoed in whatever spaced he seemed to be in. A small speck seemed to grow larger and larger, until the familiar image of Bill Cipher himself hovered next to Dipper.  
"Well kid, I wasn't sure you were going to get my memo. But it looks like you found me okay."

Dipper glared "Where the hell are we, and what do you want with me?" He could feel the red coming into his face and his temperature rising. He no longer felt fear, but agitation instead.

Bill squinted and sneered. "Don't take that tone with me, you entered my dimension. I wouldn't act so high and mighty, especially since you and your family led to my demise."

"So, you're dead?" This took Dipper by surprise. He didn't _look_ dead, just like regular Bill.

"Not quite, but physically, yes. When your great uncle Stan let me into his mind and erased himself, along with me inside, I was left without a form. Without power, without form, without now any place I could call my own. It's taken me this long to rebuild my strength back to when Gideon first called me out of the depths."

Dipper processed this information. So, Bill didn't have a physical form anymore. That's a plus. He was weak and lost his powers he had gained. Also, a plus. So far, it appeared that Bill couldn't harm him in anyway different. But, he couldn't let his guard down. Bill has always had a plan.

Bill continued. "The worst part is, I can't travel into any new minds. Unless someone calls me, I can only exist in the minds of people I had formally possessed. That includes you and Sixer. Not only that, but they have to be here in Gravity Falls. Again, that includes you and your freak of an uncle."

"Great uncle, actually. Both him and Stan are." Dipper stood up and started walking around this blank space. Bill followed and hovered shoulder-height next to him. His anger had subsided, and he was curious. No, he still hated Bill. But, if there was an evil plan, Dipper wanted to figure it out. He decided to continue the conversation and find out all I can.  
"Is there anyone else on that list _BESIDES_ me and Ford?"

"Actually, the only other person is away in Alaska right now. Not that I would want her to help me anyway."

Dipper stopped. "MABEL?"

Bill shook his head. Which, for him, meant that his hat swiveled back and forth, side to side. "No, I never possessed her. But otherwise, she would have been great."

Dipper fumed at this statement, and almost did not hear the next.

"No, it was a girl named Grenda."

"Wait wait wait, _GRENDA?"_

Bill seemed to blush in embarrassment, his face of irritation. "It was not my shining moment," he replied coldly.

Dipper couldn't help but let out a laugh.

The demon following him glared. "It was a one-time thing, and I will never possess anything like that beast again."

This statement was followed by more laughter.

"It's not that funny."

"HAHAHAHAHA-*snort* it IS pretty funny *snort* HAHHAHAHAHHAHA!" Dipper couldn't help himself.

Bill stared at him coldly. "Have you even thought about why I would want you here? Or why I called you here?" Dipper stopped abruptly.  
"I didn't bring you here to mock me. Trust me, I don't enjoy it. But there is something I need from you. I can't do this, or at least, without you."

Dipper turned to look at Bill. The fear was back. He knew what was going to happen, but he still wasn't prepared.

"What do you want from me this time, Bill? You've been inside my body, you've been inside my mind. You've made sure you're in my nightmares every night. What else could you want?"

Bill chuckled. "You're thinking too small. I don't want to possess you, Ford, or anyone for that matter. No…I'm tired of being in other people's mind and body's.

I want my own."


	4. Chapter 4

Dipper gasped and woke up in the woods.

The sweat had soaked through his shirt and bled through the cotton. His pulsing heart and pounding head seemed to share the same rhythm. His back and his legs were all covered in muddy dirt and leaves. His hat had fallen off and laid on the ground where his head had been.

Was that a dream? Did that really happen? Bill…he couldn't really be alive, could he?

Whatever the answer was, Dipper didn't want to find out. He hurried and collected his things, and ran back home on the path that had led him to that haunted place.

He hurried back to the Shack and found a truck parked in front. Guessing by the bumper stickers and dents on the side caused by who-knows-what, Dipper assumed it was Stan and Ford's "Adventure Truck."

He ran inside, bursting the door open. "Ford! Stan!"

A soft light dimmed in the living room, and the faint echoes of the actors on television seemed to be the only sound. The loveseat was warm as if someone had recently just sat there. But, there were no signs that Dipper was not alone in the Shack.

He snuck his way around, eventually making it to the store part of the Shack. "Stan? Ford? You guys here?" His voice trembled. He remembered his dream with Bill and started to wonder…

"SURPRISE!" Stan and Ford leaped out behind the counters and tackled Dipper.

"Ha ha ha, nice to see you, buddy! Ford said you'd love a little surprise."

"Don't act like this wasn't your idea," Ford remarked as he helped Dipper off the ground. "Nice to see you! Been a while, and my, have you grown! Didn't use that growing crystal again, did you?"

Dipper laughed, but he knew there was a little bit of seriousness in the tease. He had grown to about six feet since high school started, and was now taller than both his great uncles.

"Nope! You know Mabel would have a fit if I tried that again." He grinned and could see the glimmer in both his relative's eyes.

"It was Stan's idea to scare you, however."

"Nu-uh! That was all you, I wanted to have a nice sentimental party."

"Since when have you been into sentiment? You used Mother's old Tarot cards as toothpicks!"

"Alright," Dipper said as he raised his voice over both. "Well, I'm glad to be home, shambles and all." All three of them gathered around for a group hug. The tight embrace made all three smile widely, and the hug lasted for more than a couple seconds.

"Sorry, Mabel couldn't come. She wanted to, but she got invited to Alaska with friends."

"Ey, we only get you this time? No worries! We can go fishing still, there's still 3 of us!"

Both Dipper and Ford groaned.

It was late into dinner, and Dipper decided to ask them about Bill.

"Have either of you had weird dreams recently?"

"Well I had one about marrying a badger if you call that weird," Stan replied.

"No, I'm being serious. Dreams about…. Bill?"

Silence fell on the table. Both Stan and Ford stopped eating, glanced at each other, and looked at Dipper. The only sound that could be heard were the songs coming from the living room T.V.

"As a matter of fact, Dipper, we both had. You're in our dreams too."

Dipper widened his eyes. Him? In the dream as well? Was his encounter with Bill really real?

Ford sighed and began. "It always starts the same. You and I, or you and Stan in Stan's dream, are just doing day to day things. Sometimes it's the diner, sometimes it's being out on the porch, and sometimes it's out in the forest. Anyway, after we start having some fun, there's a screech out in the distance. You run off, with me trailing behind you. It always comes to a cliff, no matter where the dream started at. There's someone holding on to the cliff, and you help them up. I don't recognize the person, but you do. You have a talk about something incoherent, and as I come over to approach you two, the stranger turns around and has Bill's eyes. He whispers to me or Stan a different message every time."

Dipper gulped. "Wh-what kind of message does he tell you two?"

Ford turned away from Dipper and looked at his twin. They both took turns saying messages.

"Help me."

"Save me."

"Kill me."

"You're not listening to me."

"I need help."

"I need him."

"Give me Dipper."

Stan looked back at Dipper's sullen eyes with a grim expression. "Last night was the worst of all."

Ford cut in, saying

"Dipper is coming, so I am coming."

He looked both at his uncles. Neither one of them had a joking expression or showed any signs that this was a joke.

"Dipper, listen to me." Dipper turns to his tired great uncle with tears in his eyes and shaking hands. "Has he appeared to you? What did he say?"

The words couldn't come out. He was starting to connect the dots. "He wants a body, Ford. He wants his own body."

Ford turned with resentment. Not towards Dipper, but by the demon that had been haunting this family. "Do you know why, Dipper?"

"I – he – it – um – h-he – it's – I -I – I don't k-know."

But he did.

Ford wasn't the reason he came out this summer. Stan didn't choose this summer for Dipper to come. Dipper hadn't wandered onto the path on accident. His family had taken what he had worked millenniums for. They single-handedly destroyed the empire Bill had created over a thousand so years. He was imprisoned after occupying the one dimension he could somewhat call home. Dipper realized, Bill wanted what he worked for. It wasn't infinite power or control over laws of reality. He wanted to be a physical being.

He wanted to be alive.


	5. Chapter 5

It was winding down to late of night, and after a few rounds of "Dungeons, Dungeons, and more Dungeons," Dipper was ready for bed. It had a been a long bus journey, and all the stuff with Bill didn't help.

He walked up to the attic, where Mabel and him spent many nights that one summer. The burn marks, scratches, and glitter were left in the room, almost as if it had only been a day since he had been in there. The only difference is that the right bed was empty, and the silence pierced through his heart. Being here without Mabel was harder than Dipper thought it would be. Her pig, her scrapbook, her crushes and boy bands; all of it was gone. The only thing close to her sweaters was the neon silly string hanging from the ceiling. Dipper tried calling her but was greeted with a voicemail. He didn't bother to leave a message.

He jumped onto his bed, the mattress still holding the form of his old 13-year-old body, when his voice still cracked, and he was the shortest in all his classes. The springs greeted him with their old song of squeaks and floor echoed with the moaning of the old wooden boards. He curled, without taking his shoes, and immediately drifted into a deep, deep sleep.

He found himself in the forest surrounding the Mystery Shack. The trees were all grey, and the sky was black, so he assumed it was a dream. He walked down a narrow path that led in a direction he had never been before. The winds and turns began to familiar until the path ended and he realized where he was.

"Let's make a deal, kid."

"Bill, I will never make another deal with you. Last time you ended with Weirdmageddon, and all you want is to bring that back."

Bill moved his body in a way that resembled a smirk. "Oh, you're still not over that?"

"Ah, yes, let me just get over possession, death, and the entire destruction of the fabric of reality," Dipper started to turn red and his sarcasm was cold. "It's that not that big of a deal, not like my entire family is in therapy because of you! Not like Mabel has depression because of you at all! Not like I have panic attacks at all because of you! Not like Stan has trouble remembering thing because of you we had to wipe his memory! Not like Ford lost half his life here because of you! IT'S NOT THAT BAD!"

"Listen Dipper, I can tell you're upset…"

"REALLY? You JUST noticed that?"

"…And you have the right to be…"

"Wow! I'm glad I have YOUR authority on if I have 'the right' to be upset!"

"…but this time is different."

Dipper glared at him; this demon that destroyed his life and mental health completely, who wanted to walk back in and destroy who knows what this time. How could he trust anything he said, or anything he promised?

"Pine Tree, please. I'm tired to going dimension to dimension and breaking rules. I'm tired of being a god of chaos and weirdness. After Weirdmageddon, I went around, trying to find any place where I could exist. All of my conquered dimensions brought me no joy, and as I traveled around to others, I realized that I had grown tired of hopping place to place trying to find some sort of peace. The weird is my norm, Pine Tree. I destroy what I touch, it's my nature."

He turned his back to Bill, hiding his misty stinging eyes.

I want to be human. I want to get rid of my powers. I want to be _normal._ I want a place where I know I can wake up and have a body, and a dimension that isn't wrecked by my powers. Do you understand what it's like, to want to find a normal?"

Silence.

"Pine Tree, Dipper, Mason, whatever you want me to call you – I can't get my own body. I can only exist in the minds of the people I've possessed."

"Yeah, go get Grenda I'm sure she'll love it."

"I'm serious. I'll give you whatever you want."

Dipper turned back to Bill.

Bill looked at him, "I've never broken a promise before. I may have been sadistic and manipulative, but I always carried my end of the bargain."

Dipper approached him with a trembling voice.

"You will leave the minds of all of my family. You cannot inhabit their dreams and minds anymore."

"Okay"

"You will get rid of my panic attacks and Mabel's depression."

"Okay"

"You will help Stan remember everything you took away."

"Okay"

"After I make you human, you will leave my mind and never speak to me in dreams ever again."

"Okay, anything else?"

"Just leave me family alone."

"What about Grenda?"

Dipper chuckled, "You can keep her!"

"Alright, deal, Dipper?" A familiar black hand engulfed in icy flames stretched out in front of him. Dipper took his hand.

"Deal."


	6. Chapter 6

Fire licked Dipper's hand as he sealed the deal.

"Alright, now how do we get you a body?"

"Oh, we're just going to use a body that's been used! The soul's already left so it's okay!"

Dipper froze. "Whoa whoa whoa…WHAT?"

"Well, yeah! That way we don't have to kill anyone! I figured you'd prefer that," Bill said as his face turned from excitement to confusion. His hat drooped a little as he tried to figure out what was wrong.

A sigh, then "Yes, I don't want to kill anyone. Tha-that's good, that's very good. But isn't using a dead body kind of…necromancy?" He gulped. He was used to the weirdness of Gravity Falls; gnomes and spider women were fine. An evil psychic, that's okay. But resurrection? This wasn't the "weird" he was used to.

"It's fine he's been dead for a while. It'll work out when we do the spell."

"I have to do magic?!"  
"Well yeah, you kind of signed up for this!"

"Um, _no,_ this wasn't a part of the deal!"  
Dipper felt a hand on his shoulder, and it slowly tightened.

"You made a deal to get me a body. You can't break a deal. You can't back out now."

It was true- he couldn't back out now. You can't break a promise like this – with a demon. Dipper reluctantly gave in.

"Alright, alright, you want me to resurrect the body from the dead. I can figure it out, there's a cemetery and I'm sure some of the bo—"

"No."

"No?", he chuckled. "What the hell does THAT mean, _no_?"  
"You can't just use _any_ body, Pine Tree!" replied Bill, exasperated. "I can only use certain ones. You should know _that."_

"Yes, OBVIOUSLY I would have known that, Bill! How the hell would I know?"

"Do they not teach these things in school?!"

"Oh, I don't know, probably not, since we don't learn about DICKHEADS like you in the first place!"

Huffing and puffing, they looked at each other. Once seeing the anger in each other's eyes, they turned around to face away. Dipper crossed his arms and went into a slump, while Bill landed and just stood for a while. Neither could hear anything but their own breath and see red for some time. Eventually, Bill decided to be the first to speak.

"Listen here, kid. I know it's not easy, but nothing you asked me to do will be easy too. Once I get the body, you won't have to hear or see from me again. But you made me a promise. WE made a deal, and you can't break a deal with me."

Bill watched as Dipper's shoulders droop, and he slowly slid onto the ground, facing up and his arms spread out. Once he had heard the sigh of Dipper, Bill spoke again.

"This is just going to be one quick easy trip. You and I, on the road, doing some necromancy – it'll be fun!"

A chuckle.

"The body is the corpse of an old alchemist, one of the first people who summoned me. Even though the height of my power is in Gravity Falls, I can still be summoned elsewhere on Earth. I just cannot possess or enter dreams as I can here, and I tend to be more of a service than a threat. Anyway, he used me to help him turn straw into gold, water into wine, and build a Resurrection Stone."

"A…what now?"

"A Resurrection Stone. It has the power to keep someone alive for a very long time, and even allow supernatural beings like me to have this ability to live a human life. I embedded the Stone into his skull, and he lived, I think – don't trust me I might be wrong – six or seven hundred years?"

"Jesus Christ, man."

"No, Jesus is somewhere else, man. Don't get me wrong, He's pretty chill and all – does really well in poker I'll tell you – but we're not close. 

Back to the subject. This body is hidden underground in a small town."

"Bill, what's the name of the town, the closest place to here is half an hour away."

He started to stammer. "Well, I, uh, I don't k-know how _far_ things are from each other in your human relationships. Thankfully, it's here on Earth, and we don't have to travel off planet, or even off solar system at all!"

He was greeted with the deadest stare that would make his blood run cold, if he had blood that is.

"Bill, what is the name of the town?"

"It's a small place called like Paris. I think it's in a place called…Fran-ce? I don't know how humans decided to plot out land and it-"

"IT'S IN PARIS?! IT'S IN FRANCE?! DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHERE THAT IS?!"

"I _Still_ don't know, Pine Tree. Want to illuminate it for me?"

"T-TH-THAT'S ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD!"

"Oh, okay! Well, I'm sure you'll figure out a way to get there. See ya around, kid!"

And everything went to black.


	7. Chapter 7

"WHAT GAVE YOU THE AUDACITY, MASON PINES?! DO YOU HAVE _ANY_ IDEA WHAT YOU HAVE SIGNED UP FOR?!"

Dipper decided to tell his great uncles about the dream and the deal. For some reason, he couldn't shake off the feeling it was 'just a dream.' While making a deal with Bill was stupid – yes, extremely – he thought he was doing best for the people he loved. Ford had other thoughts.

"YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT HE IS CAPABLE OF, DIPPER!"

"Actually, Great-Uncle Ford, I _do_ know. I'm not sure if you remember a certain Weirdmageddon or not. I'm pretty sure I got this."

The sarcasm seemed to infuriate Ford instead of cool him down.

"OF COURSE I DO! YOU COULDN'T STOP BILL! STAN DID! AND HE'S SPIRALLING DOWN A MENTAL RABBIT HOLE BECAUSE OF IT! TO SAVE YOU!"

They were standing around the dining table, orange juice dripping down the ancient oak. It had been flung, along with bowls of milk and cereal when Dipper spilled the news. Stan was sitting, and trying to read a soggy newspaper. It had a featured story but Stan couldn't tell through the blurred words whether it said "mugger" or "smuggler." He tried to focus on the word and tune the two out, with no success.

"I know you were trapped in a portal for a couple years, but if you haven't noticed, I'm older now! I'm more sure of myself. I know what I'm capable of, and I want to make sure my family is safe and happy again. Do you know what that's like? To sacrifice things for the people close to you?"

Stan put down his paper and looked at Dipper.

"I do."

Both looked at Stan, as he slowly stood up, and finally spoke.

"Listen kid; I never meant for any of this to happen to our family five years ago. I never thought you or Mabel would be dragged in, and I didn't know about Bill. Hell, I still don't know that much about him. It's getting harder to remember what's dreams and what's real. Memories are starting to fog; Mom, Dad, Toby Determined –"

"-that's a good thing-"

"But what you did Dipper, is not just being courageous and the hero. It was stupid, and suicide."

Ford glared back down on his great-nephew, whose eyes had drooped down to the floor. Looking his frazzled brother and melancholy nephew, Stan sighed and continued.

"What I do know, is that if you made this deal, you can't run from it. That's _worse_ than suicide. So, on that note –" Stan shifted and walked out of the door. Both of them followed him, looking at each other with confusion. He led them past the entrance of the Shack down to where the safe was. Stan slowly opened it and pulled out the funds for the Shack. The precious green waters that flowed out of the bags of cash, the rustling and clinking of money Stan had been chasing for years was placed at Dipper's feet.

"Kid, this is yours. I don't have much of a legacy, but I want you to know that I do … well, love you Dipper."

Ford took steps backward, startled and mouth agape. "Y-you can't be serious! You can't be _encouraging_ him! You remember what happened to me!"

Stan stood up next to his brother with a fiery look in his eyes. "I do remember you, and you built that portal for yourself. You had no idea who Bill was and ignorantly followed him. Now, I think Dipper is entirely stupid. I never agreed with his actions, but I will help him as much as I can now that the deal has been made. It's not like he can really go back.

Besides, he know who Bill is and his powers. He knows Bill's weaknesses and how to contain him, which is more than what you knew back then. And Dipper is doing this for his family so we can be together. It's not like he left them without telling them and selfishly determined his own path, Ford."

The shadows that fell on Stan's face with those last remarks petrified Ford, leaving him paralyzed.

Dipper turned to Stan, "I really don't know what to say."

"Then don't say anything. You talk too much anyway." Dipper chuckled and welcomed his noogie.

"This is a lot of money though, how can I make it up to you?"

Stan sighed and patted his shoulder "It's my money and I can spend it however I want. No one can stop me, except fraud now."

Ford finally regrouped, and called a taxi to take Dipper to the Portland Airport.

This was going to be a ride, and Dipper wasn't thinking about the taxi.


	8. Chapter 8

He watched as his two grandfatherly figures grew smaller into the horizon, still waving their goodbyes. The morning rays stretched their fingertips and dipped into every crevice it could find. The sun still found a way to spread itself onto Dipper's melancholy face, however. The taxi driver was distracted by his own Celtic folk music to pay attention to the backseat.

Dipper grabbed out his wallet and made sure he had all of his belongings- the picture in front displayed a 13 year old him hugging his sister. He wondered about Mabel for a second. What was she doing? He chuckled at the thought of her seeing his behavior now – running away to France with his worst enemy. He turned the wallet over and over in his hands until he startled at a dollar bill, in which the eye of the pyramid seemed to wink.

He peered over more and faintly noticed a small bow tie. Dipper bent in more and more to inspect until he heard the faint chuckle of a familiar demon voice. Then suddenly,

"Hiya Pine Tree!"

In an instinct, Dipper jumped back and yelled a slur, making the taxi man swerve as another great instinct.

"Woah! You okay back there, kid?"

As Dipper trembled and noticed that a small translucent Bill stood on the dollar, he nodded and replied, "Sorry, just a spider."

"Well kid, just watch out 'cause those things are bound to show up every once and again," and slowly turned up his Celtic folk tunes once again. Dipper then turned to this little demon standing smug on the green bill.

"How are you DOING this? I thought you could only exist in the dreamscape."

"That's only in Gravity Falls, where my power's limited. Out here, I can live anywhere with an image of me on it." Bill gave a smudge look that one can only give with a singular eye.

Dipper, still in a bit of awe and confusion, inquired. "What the hell does that mean? You're saying that's YOU on the dollar?" He was then greeted with a cackle.

"Of course! I'm everywhere, baby! You didn't think I was _only_ the muse of Sixer? Look around ya! I'm a pyramid! I'm illuminati! Why do you think it's called the _dollar BILL_?"

Hm.

"Besides, I'm a dream demon! You were _day_ dreaming!"

"T-that doesn't count!"

"Why, are there rules? And I would be the one in charge of them if there were, not you." He tipped his hat towards Dipper, with a smug expression. Dipper fussled around for a refutation, disgruntled. He started to peer out the window again and watched the passing trees sizzling out into fields of hay. Occasionally an animal would poke its head up and Dipper wouldn't feel as alone. He started to fall asleep in the warm sun beams and the faded fiddles and flutes from the front, until the antagonizing voice of Bill annoyed him once again.

"Soooooooooooooooooo, Pine Tree, what's the plan?"

Dipper turned over and faced the miniature demon standing on his green platform. "The plan is, I find a flight to France and you shut up."

"Great! I love it, except that last part."

"Well you see Bill, that's the most important part."

"It's not fair," he whined.

"You know what's not fair? Me having to sacrifice my summer to put up with you." Dipper grumbled sleepily turned around again.

"Well, how about we swap stories about ourselves. I mean, I know everything about you and your family, but you don't really know anything about _me_."

"Don't care."

"Oh, that's no fun. You're such a killjoy."

"Proud to be."

"Then let's play tic tac toe."

"No thanks."

"Demon paper scissors?"

"Leave me alone."

"Hey Dipper?"

"WHAT"

A pause. Dipper slid his eyes over to see a once smug triangle now sitting, kicking his legs off the side of the paper. His behavior shifted from cocky and annoying to somewhat uncomfortable, and a little afraid.

"I know this is what I want. I know that we made a deal. I know this is best for me in general. But," he turned his eye towards Dipper.

"What's it like?

What's it like to be human?"

"Now Bill, we both know you've possessed a body or two in your time and I –"

"That's not what I mean. What's it like to be _alive_?

What's it like to have a family?

What is love and hate like?

What is it like to have all the power in the world, and all the same time have none at all?

What's it like to have a soul?"

Dipper found he couldn't answer, and they spend the rest of the car ride in silence.


	9. Chapter 9

After what seemed like an eternity, Dipper finally arrived in Portland. The city here was so different than the one back home in California. While the buildings reached towards the sky, there still seemed like an old quaint town feel about the place. Whether it was the hipster aesthetic that had overcome the city or jus the "Keep Portland Weird" vibe in general, he felt more in place here than he had ever in a big city before. The taxi crossed the Columbia, and underneath the bridge he could see the small cruise boats littering the river, and the sprinkling of the now raindrops fallings from a monochromatic heaven. As the taxi rose in speed, Dipper couldn't help but look out the window in awe of the place. He had never been to Portland, and quickly snapped pictures of the White Stag guarding the city and reminding them of the name of this weird little city. The scenery soon changed to antlines of cars scattered among trees. The endless traffic seemed to lead the taxi onto a conformed path down to the International Airport.

The taxi driver finally acknowledged the boy's existence in the car, turned around, and stated,

"Well kid, this is where you get off."

Dipper slowly packed up his bag, and placed Bill and the dollar into his wallet now located in his front pocket. He went quickly to open the door when a gust of air startled him, as he saw his driver opening the car door instead. The driver wore a smug expression and rubbed his fingers together in the universal sign for a tip. Dipper then landed a couple dollars into the man's hand, unaware of the quantity he had given the man.

As Dipper got out of the car and headed towards the check in, he heard the faint whispering of counting and a small "hm!" made, almost dissatisfied. The teen now swung open the doors and was greeted with an abundant chaos. People crowded around and the voices of unhappy customers and unforgiving employees was barely heard over the shuffling of feet, the whisps of clothing in passing, and the ambient noise of any great city. Dipper, while standing tall at a proud five foot ten, even had troubling looking over the heads of ambiguous fliers. He slowly opened his wallet until a triangle popped out and greeted him.

"Sh! Stay low, I don't want anyone to see you."

"Aw, you missed me! You really do care about me~" His joking gaze was met with an annoyed sigh, and Dipper refuted.

"No, I just have no idea what I'm doing and I need help finding out where I'm supposed to go."

"Hey hey hey, _I_ never said I'd be your little puppy dog, Pine Tree. I'm not a demon you can call back and forth like a free maid."

" _Do you want your body or not? Because if I miss this flight, I will drive you back straight home to Gravity Falls and you can have a body later – my own fleeting old corpse after I die._ Now, is that what you want, or do you want to help a homie out?"

Bill shuddered and sat in the wallet for a while, contemplating.

"Alright, fine. But you have to keep the bill out so I can travel around the room and see what you need, buddy."

Dipper whispered harshly, like a silent yell. " _WHAT IF PEOPLE SEE YOU?!"_

Bill turned to him and gave him a confident expression. "Listen kid, you're the only one who can see me, and right now it looks like you have a confrontation with a couple quarters to everyone else."

Dipper slowly looked around and noticed the couple people staring at him with peculiar disgust in their eyes. Once he met their gaze, they quickly went back to their phones or decided to be the one to count the tiles on the ceiling.

"Just make it quick, okay?"

Bill laughed. "Have I ever let you down, buddy?"

" _every single day of my goddamn life."_

Bill shuffled around the heads of the crowd, searching for an open spot at the airline check in. When one spot opened, he waved.

"Dipper, over here!"

Dipper ran over and noticed the grumble of people around him, as they seemed to be standing in a line.

"Mason Pines to station 3 please."

He rushed over, with confused amazement on how this airline knew his name. He ran over and quickly got out his license and passport, when he was greeted with a spectacled attendant, whose eyes were blocked out by the thick glass. He hurried and checked his bags, and printed out a physical copy of the ticket for the flight that left in an hour. It wasn't until he put his bags onto the check out stand did he realize why he got through the line so fast, why everyone grumbled when he was called, and how they knew his name.

He leaned over and caught a glimpse at the attendee's eyes, which were dilated cat eye pupils accompanied with a warm tint of yellow.

As Dipper left the station and Bill swiftly came over, he spoke to Bill facing forward, as if ignoring his existence.

"That wasn't necessary, you know."

"Sure it was! I got you where you needed to be, and you did ask for my help after all."

They ended the conversation until after the TSA checked for no imminent threats, with no machines available to process the true evil floating next to Dipper. Instead they found a threat to security, a best friends bracelet his sister shared with him on their 15th birthday. Dipper and his companion slowly progressed towards the gate where they would be shuffled onto the aircraft. Fortunately, they arrived on time and with Bill's earlier tricks, Dipper's last seat on coach magically became a first class ticket for a 13 hour flight, where they would land in England and fly to France with another airline.

As Dipper got into his seat and started to relax, Bill came alive on the small television screen in front of him.

"Wow, 13 hours! What are you going to do with that?"

"Hopefully sleep and get away from you."

"Oh you're such a bully to me, Pine tree. I may get self-esteem issues."

"Really? Well, I was born with those issues so sucks to be you. Guess you get depression like the rest of us."

"I don't like that!"

"I think Bill, to my understanding, that's kind of the point of depression. And now, ta-da! You're a step closer to being human. Now you just get to be miserable forever."

"How about you go to sleep, and I tell you a story?"

"You're going to kill me or possess me, aren't you?"

"I already told you, I don't care about your body. Besides, you hardly take care of it anyway. I feel like I have a right to a nice clean vessel."

"Now _that's_ hurtful. I guess a story wouldn't be so bad, since I'm stuck here anyway. You're either going to be annoying awake, or boring asleep."

"Boring, huh? Back I go to being the victim. No, trust me, you've never heard this story, and I don't think anyone else has. Now just relax, get comfortable, and when you're asleep, I'll take you on a journey."

Dipper popped a Nyquil, and was soon asleep fast. Once he reached deep slumber, Bill slowly worked his way into his mind, and started to set up a show.


	10. the dream - 01 retpahc

Here I am.

Wait, who am I? Is this Bill? Is this Dipper? A little bit of both? Where am I?

It looks like space. The blues and purples dance into giant clouds, and the lights twinkle in and out. I feel a hum – no, can I hear it? I cannot tell.

In front of me lays an axolotl – a giant one, with power at its tendrils. I don't know why, but it fears me and yet sends a rush of adrenaline through my body.

" _SSSSSSSSO,"_ it began to speak. " _OUTCASSSSSTED FROM BOTH HEAVEN AND HELL, HM? NEITHER ANGEL NOR DEVIL… A TWISSSSTED, CHAOTIC BEING. HOW DID YOU GET INTO THIS PREDICAMENT?"_

" _WHAT TO DO WITH YOU?"_

" _SSSSSSHALL I SSSSSSSMITE YOU? SSSSSSSHALL I TAKE YOU ASSSS AN APPRENTICE? WHAT WOULD YOU SSSSSUGGEST?"_

For some reason, my mouth began to move on its own. The words I spoke were familiar, yet not my own.

"I am but a humble creature! I only come to you for what you can give me no one else can – a dimension of my own. I yearn for power, and a power no other can give. Even if it just a small patch of the fabric of reality – I want a place to call my own.

I have no father, no mother, no one to love me and no where to rest my head. To be kicked out of Heaven – well, it happens to the best of us. To be kicked out of Hell – that's a whole other matter. The one place my disowned kind can go disowned ME instead! To be isolated from everyone and have no power over anything; this is a fate worse than death.

Take pity on me, and please grant me this request."

" _MMMMMMMM, YESSSSS. THISSSSS ISSSSS A THOUGHT. BUT WHAT DO I GET IN RETURN? WHAT ARE YOU TO ME?"_

"Take my spirit! It's barely a soul, but whatever you wish to call it- you may have all of me! I will be your servant forever."

" _YOU ARE BUT A SSSSPECK TO ME. YOU ARE WORTHLESSSSSS AND DESSSSSERVE NOTHING. WHY TO GIVE YOU ANY THOUGHT?"_

I call out again, pleading for my life. I am grabbing onto any thread in order to save myself. But yet, I cannot find any reason to appease him. I don't know who I am or what my purpose is. I don't know what makes me _me_ , but I do know that screw up everything. Anything perfect just turns out…weird. Full of imperfections, never symmetrical, a cast out at least. What could he do with someone like me?

" _YOU ARE A WASSSSSTE OF MY TIME. I WILL LET YOU LEAVE, AND I WILL NOT DESTROY YOU. HOWEVER, SSSSSHALL YOU WISSSSH TO SSSSSEE ME AGAIN, YOU KNOW WHERE I WILL BE."_

And there I was, now cast out into nothingness.

Time no longer exists for me. I found a dimension that was empty but still working. I do know that he will destroy me if he finds out about this place, but I will not let him find me. I can bend everything I wish to my liking. Rules? Ha! What rules? They are excluding and keep me from dreaming. I pick up stragglers, other outcasts who were shut out and on their way to the grave. They keep me company, and we become like family. We enjoy our time here. A few are angels, a few demons, and many from all other walks of space and time. We gather together and break what would be reality for others. Imagination runs free, and nothing is perfect.

All of us bring what makes us special together, and we are all weird as one. It's a nice feeling, for once having a family. I have a girl, and brothers and sisters. We sing songs, tell stories, and fabricate new ideas. I've never felt so at home. I'm sure this is where I am wanted. I cannot leave, for I will be thrown out everywhere I go. To everyone else, I am pathetic and worth nothing. I should be dead. I have no purpose for living; except now I found that here.

We are not perfect, so this world should not be.

We are disowned, so we disown reality.

They broke us, now in our special way we break them.

I am King, and I am happy.

This is where I belong.

I shudder my eyes and something rubs my shoulder. Soon, I disappear and my oneness in this dream – or is it a memory? – start to become two again.


	11. Chapter 11

"Hey can you move? I've had to pee for hours now, and you haven't woken up."

Through his half open eyes, Dipper takes a minute to comprehend the older gentleman sitting next to him, with a scowl as noticeable as his wrinkles.

"Oh yeah, go ahead."

As Dipper sleepily throws his body out of the chair to make a pathway for his companion, the old man darts quickly, and trips over a small piece of trash, but catches himself in time. The man fumbles around for a bit, and then steadily makes his way to the back, to the restrooms surrounded by snoring people and crying children. Dipper turned in his seat and watched him as the man made his way back there.

After he was out of sight, Dipper then returned to his relaxed position. He then suddenly noticed how considerately darker the lights had gotten on the plane, as many people drifted to sleep on this flight. He leaned over to where the older man was seated to open the shutters. A grim indigo had surrounded the plane, and it levitated over satin clouds below. This was the horizon now; and its beauty ensnared Dipper for many minutes.

Soon the mumbling of the engine and the setting around him lost its awe, and he sat back down in his seat; not a moment too soon either, for the man was back and asked Dipper to allow him passage back to his seat. He fumbled and grumbled – this must always be his state of mind – and as soon as he sat down, the gentlemen fell into a doze.

A faint whisper entered the conscious of Dipper's mind, and quickly he looked back onto the reflection of the little tv in front of him. Instead of having an ominous triangle staring back at him, he saw his own reflection with the only difference being a pair of yellow cat pupils.

"Boo."

"Seriously, Bill? This is how it's going to be?"

"Hey! I rather like this outfit; thank you very much. I think it suits me."

"Really, well, I prefer myself with this face. Not for sale."

"Boo hoo. It's rather charming now too. Less sweaty as it used to be."

To this, Dipper allowed a sincere chuckle. Was this the first time Bill actually made him laugh? Both the two appeared stunned for a millisecond, then turned back to the conversation.

"Well Bill, you'll get your own body soon. Then you get to be sweaty on your own.

Wait, do you even _experience_ heat? Like, hot and cold?"

A couple seconds of contemplation was followed by a genuine "I don't know. I don't think so, anyway."

Bill now returned to his most famous form, and the reflection of Bipper sizzled away.

"I don't really know at all, anymore. I can barely tell with emotions, as they are. I feel like I'm fading away; I'm going through the motions and well, numb. When I'm human, I can feel again. Not just hot and cold, but I guess alive. Over the millennia I have just become an empty shell."

The mood of this space turned from relaxing to somber harshly. Bill, feeling ashamed, kept his eye and avoided the gaze of Dipper. It had been so long since he had been emotionally vulnerable.

"Cut all that soppy crap out, let's get back to that dream, huh?"

As his eye slowly moved its way up, Dipper met his gaze with a bittersweet smile to cut the mood. Dipper didn't care about Bill's past and whatever he really felt, but still his heart sunk a little after Bill revealed that tidbit. He was still evil, even if he was some crack sad-story demon.

"That dream was nice, huh Pine Tree?"

"Yeah, actually." Dipper leaned his head back as he tried to remember its parts. "I liked the ending, and how I felt like I belonged somewhere.

"I've always struggled to get along with others at school, and not many people like me because I'm, well, _me._ Mabel's been my closest friend, and until my Grunkles I never really had a close family connection. Gravity Falls is one of the only places I feel like I can actually be myself and be loved."

A sweet sigh.

"So I resonate with the main character really well. Do you kind of understand that?" Dipper looked at Bill quizzically, tilting his head to emphasize his question.

A slight snort then turned to maniacal laughter.

"Pine Tree, I understand more than you think."

And Dipper became ensnared by comatose once again.


	12. the dream - 21 retpahc

I find myself awake in the same setting I had disappeared from earlier. The only difference is that now it seemed to feel more like a huge party, as if a celebration of some sort. People dancing, out of sync rhythm, some glowing liquid oozing on the floor out of the laughing people's cups. Before I could truly understand my surroundings, I was pulled onto the dance floor by an unknown hand. I saw that pink hand belonged to my girl, who glistened under the tainted artificial lights. She did not have a name, but we all recognized her by the rose quartz her body was composed of. She urged me to dance with her, and as I began to move my body to one beat, and then to another, the crowd started to cheer.

Song after song came on, drink after drink came, and soon all the world had become was a dizzy blur. But I laughed at it, feeling a drunk kind of glee and confidence. I could not tell whether I was a good dancer, or if the crowd was as intoxicated as I was to notice a difference, but it seemed like all of the buzz and excitement was directed towards me. I took it all in, the party, the music, the cheers, the attention. I felt like a king – no, a _god._ This was the feeling I had been striving for! Being worshipped was so exhilarating, and I could not get enough. I wanted more.

I soon exited the dance floor, trying to find some other form of entertainment to keep me merry. I dabbled across huddles of people, each respectively trying new games to play with one another and helping each other get drunk as feasibly possible. But again, I was greeted with appraisal by all the travelers there that night, and the longer that single night went on, the greater I felt. I felt myself not wanting to let go of this, and stretched time with all of my might to keep this night going just a bit longer.

Oh this! I don't feel anyone else has felt as wonderful as I did. I was a god. I was provocative to the masses. I deserved this. This was my new identity; the King of Weird. I took this title and ran with it as far as I could. Cocky, how cocky! Was this from the adrenaline, the drinks, or the stirring feeling of this eternal party? In the end, did it really matter?

Who said I was weak? Who said I was imperfect? Who said that I had no purpose in this life? They were wrong! I had proven this, and my family had now become my kingdom. I made an empire of lost souls and misfit toys. Why, I could fight anyone and win! No one could ever stop me! So I spoke the name.

The name.

And it all stopped.

The dancing froze.

Drinks flying in the air paused.

All the colors of this edgy underground scene became a monochromatic grey.

And it started to burn.

The axolotl appeared. I had summoned him.

He saw our secret place, how I had deliberately disobeyed him, how this pocket of reality became a twisted, chaotic, weird wonderland.

And he set everything I loved on fire.

My friends, who were once beautiful, now grew into deformed horrible monsters. Their screams pierced the very being of my soul as I could hear their minds and spirit shattering into shards like broken glass. They had become simulacrums of who they once were, a broken reflection and two dimensional, existing now only in body and chaotic, savage, instincts. The world I was in flattened, as if it had become two dimensional. My palace had erupted into flames and all space was now negative.

I suddenly felt an excruciating pain throughout my entire body. My eyes lost their vision, and once I regained it, I realized I was left with only one seeing eye source. My body became flattened and geometrical. I felt myself weaken. What was this? I had been to Hell, I knew this was different.

This was worse.

He turned and looked at me.

" _SSSSSSSO, YOU WENT AGAINSSSSST ME, EY? YOU DECIDED TO MAKE A WORLD OF YOUR OWN, AND THOUGHT I WOULD NEVER KNOW? HMMMMM, HOW CHEATED YOU MUSSSSST FEEL NOW._

 _WELL, THISSSSS ISSSS YOUR NEW PUNISSSSHMENT. THISSSSS ISSSSSS YOUR HOME."_

I looked around with my one eye and saw a destroyed shattered world of what my home had once been. My friends coiled around at my feet, looking at me as their leader with empty eyes that had once held emotion and personality. I tried to scream, and as the noise left my body I realized I was left with no facial features except this horrendous eye.

" _THISSSS ISSSSS NOW THE NIGHTMARE REALM. OR SSSSSHOULD I SSSSAY,_ _YOUR_ _NIGHTMARE REALM?"_

He left with a stinging sensation that this was the hell I had to spend the rest of my life in.

Now future memories recalled themselves to me.

I could venture through the dream scape to spoke to others who spoke the curse that summoned me. Soon I remembered.

Summonings from other worlds.

Possessions.

Pretending to be "Muses" for millions of others.

Weirdmageddon.

The closest thing I ever got to having my world finally come back as a whole. My friends who were empty beastly shells did my bidding, and I tried to gain something of their old selves back. I recreated my palace, I remade my party, everything was in place. It was almost bliss.

Except a family of humans, whose names I will always remember.

Two sets of twins who shared similar fates.

And one of them is helping me become alive again.

Remembering this, I glitch, and I wake up and become two once again.


	13. Chapter 13

His eyes opened, and slowly darkness existed the world of consciousness as he awoke. Sleep, waking up, Dipper stretched his arms and legs as far as he could, and yawned heavily. The lights had been turned on the cabin again, and Dipper asked a passing attendant the time. She informed it was in the early morning Portland time. She spoke harshly and quietly, and quickly made her way down to her destination. Dipper scratched his head as he wondered if he had dreamt at all. He looked around and was oblivious to the dream that had been presented to him.

He relaxed and drew caricatures of the fellow passengers with a bent pen and a napkin found on the floor. He glanced around the cabin, trying to find another victim for his hunky-dory doodles until his eyes spotted a glowing triangle faintly appearing on a monitor in front of him. He looked at Bill, and Bill stared back.

Dipper cocked his head into confusion, indicating he didn't understand what Bill wanted. Bill heaved his body up and slowly down, imitating a sigh. He snapped his fingers and in a second, a flash of the dreams entered Dipper's flashbacks, almost as shell shock. It flooded Dipper's consciousness and disappeared as soon as it had come. But it had done its deed, and Dipper suddenly remember all the details of the story Bill had presented to him.

"Jesus, Bill…" Dipper slouched and used his fingers to massage his temples.

"What?"

"What the heck kind of dream was that? It felt more like a memory…" Trying to remember and focus, he rubbed the bridge of his nose using his thumb and forefinger.

"It was a memory, Pine Tree."

He stopped. Dipper snapped and stared at Bill.

"It was mine.

Seriously, are you _that_ dense? What else could it have been?"

"I don't know, like a dream or something!"

"And why would I do that?"

"I don't know, because you _SAID_ you would give me a dream! And you're a _dream_ _ **demon.**_ It's kind of in the name, buddy."

"No, I said I'd tell you a story. And I did!"

"You're a liar!"

"Well, you're annoying!"

"Shut up!"

At that last remark, Dipper realized he had shouted a bit too loudly, and a couple people still sleeping were startled and awoke unexpectedly. He blushed and slid his beanie down his head, trying to seem innocent. The stirring people looked around for the perpetrator, but gave up and nested themselves back into their dreaming states.

"Now, Pine Tree, you understand why I do the things I do."

"I mean, I get some of it now and everything, but I'm not going to forgive or move past your actions.

You hurt my family multiple times. You tried to take over the town and world I love. I go to therapy now, Bill. Stan is slowly losing memories, since he scrambled his brain trying to destroy you. Mabel has depression and anxiety."

Bill looked down, unable to process any emotion or say anything at all.

"Whether you did it for fun, or to find a home again, does not matter to me. You messed with my family, and I'm trying to win them back. I'm doing that by getting you this human body. That's the only reason I'm here, Bill; not to get to know you better or feel sorry for you. I want my family back. I want to have my old home back"

Dipper sighed and looked anywhere but at Bill's gaze. He tried to look cool and resolved, but his bouncing leg gave away his anxious demeanor.

"So did I, kid.

So do I."


	14. Chapter 14

Dipper fell back asleep, and Bill decided not to bother him this time. After, he didn't want another episode of their latest banter, or Dipper would be moved to coach. Not that Bill really cared where on the plane people sat, but Bill enjoyed being able to peek out onto his little television – something the back did not have. He was tired of trying to find a form on a loose dollar or any triangular shape he could find.

He sighed. He knew he didn't have to worry about this in a while – after he got his physical body. Sure, possessing people did give him that adrenaline feel, but it was only temporary. Besides, he couldn't feel anything in those bodies except physically – no fear, love, anger, anything. The closest he ever got to feeling whole again was during his reign of Gravity Falls, no. He wouldn't think of that anymore. He remembered Dipper's face during their encounters in the forest.

Of course, he knew he was horrible – that was his job as a demon after all. Besides, inflicting fear and pain onto others gave him a little buzz. Feeling something was better than feeling nothing, even if it meant other people had to suffer. Besides, he convinced himself, they weren't _really_ suffering. Transmuting them into stone and gold left them without any sensations whatsoever. Even his servants, the Pines, did not truly suffer. Changing his face was more shocking to that pitiful creature than anything else.

Still, he reminded himself of Dipper. Here he was, him and whole family going through all these situations because of him. Bill didn't feel empathy, but still understood that his actions had impacted the humans he knew the most. Of course, he didn't care. Why should he? They were mortals, whose lives were short and meaningless anyway. Bill could always find new puppets to play with. Still…

"Man, I can't wait to have a body for my own this time." What would he do? Well, breathing sounded like a good start. Haven't done that in a while. Oh, perhaps sleep! That sounded like fun.

Bill laughed at that idea.

A dream demon having dreams? That's too funny.

He had been infesting other people's for so long, he forgot what they originally were supposed to be and feel like.

There was so much to be excited for, and yet…?

What if it backfired? Perhaps this method was outdated, or rarely worked, or maybe what if they did it wrong? Bill would be lost. Well, not really. Not in a way he was familiar with. But Dipper? There could be consequences. He didn't want anyone else ending up soulless in this scenario.

What if HE found out? No, he must stop thinking about HIM, it may call HIM out…

Would he have a soul again? Bill shuddered at that. Souls could be judged, and he knew what happened at both those places after death. Still, anything is better than the wrath of HI-

He stopped himself in time.

Bill looked back at Dipper, mouth agape and head tilted back to the top corner of his seat. This kid was giving up a lot to seal this deal. All for family. Bill thought about that in contemplation, until he realized he would have done the same to save his family. He thought back to his friends corrupted forms and now blank personalities. Hadn't Weirdmageddon also been for them?

Bill stopped to realize how many questions he was asking himself. For seeing and knowing everything, he sure didn't know anything about himself. Maybe in his new form he could figure it out. But, it depended on how much time he would have. He didn't tell Dipper that this form would die quickly. It could be a week, or it could be fifty years. Only once during the ceremony would he really know how much time he had. Still, giving that his time was short would make his time more meaningful.

Is that what humans do? Their lives are so short, and they could all die at any instant. Do they reach out to make the most of their time? He reflected to all these people in the aircraft, and those at the airport. They didn't seem like they were trying to make every minute matter. Perhaps it's the anxiety of not knowing what to do with your life that made many waste their gift. Maybe they even ignored that they would die, and lived obliviously like that. Bill wouldn't. Imagine if he only had a year and ended up wasting it in fear! How useless this would all be…

"I wonder if I'll make friends… or have a family. How many people do you need for a family anyhow…"

Bill pondered, until he looked at the sleeping passenger across from him. He smiled sadly. Maybe, with forgiveness and time,

"Maybe all you need is one."


	15. Chapter 15

""Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Gatwick Airport. Local time is 9:00 a.m. and the temperature is 8.3 degrees Celcius."

Dipper grumbled and started going to his carry-on, making sure that nothing was stolen during his slumber. Phone? Check. Wallet? Check. Earbuds? Check. Ominous looking triangle that haunted him on the daily? Dipper looked up at the screen Bill had last been possessing, and found it void of any life – or death. Did Bill technically count as alive? He shook his heads, as if he was wiping his mind clean of his thoughts and tried to figure out where Bill may have gone.

"For your safety and comfort, please remain seated with your seat belt fastened until the Captain turns off the Fasten Seat Belt sign. This will indicate that we have parked at the gate and that it is safe for you to move about. Cellular phones may only be used once the Fasten Seat Belt sign has been turned off."

Where was he? Dipper checked his phone's screen in case and looked down at his watch. Its shimmering face sprinkled the sun's morning rays into the cabin, but no demonic eyes seemed to watch him.

"Please check around your seat for any personal belongings you may have brought on board with you and please use caution when opening the overhead bins, as heavy articles may have shifted around during the flight."

He heard a familiar chuckle and looked over at the old man's screen sitting next to him. There, Bill was jumping around as if to get attention, but the old man didn't seem to notice him in the slight. Dipper whispered Bill's name through his teeth in order to get Bill to look his way. On the third or fourth try, Bill noticed, and turned his eye towards Dipper's direction. Dipper grabbed out his wallet, pointed to the dollar bill inside, and grunted towards Bill, insinuating Bill return.

"If you require deplaning assistance, please remain in your seat until all other passengers have deplaned. One of our crew members will then be pleased to assist you."

Bill laughed and disappeared. Dipper scavenged the seats around him trying to find his friend. Soon, Bill appeared on the screen in front of the people seating in front of Dipper. He slid from screen to screen, as if to taunt Dipper. On his second rotation, Dipper slapped his screen when Bill appeared for the brief second there, and scooping nothing, returned air to his wallet.

"On behalf of Delta Airlines and the entire crew, I'd like to thank you for joining us on this trip and we are looking forward to seeing you on board again in the near future. Have a nice stay!"

"You're no fun to play with kid."

"Well, you're not fun to chase around either."

"Come on, you were sleeping! I had to wake you up somehow."

"Bill I was awake as soon as these wheels touched the ground. Now listen, I don't want people looking at me funny again, so I'm going to hide you until I can get somewhere with a pay phone and call my family."

"Boo." Bill greeted Dipper with thumbs down as Dipper slowly shut the wallet, trapping its inhibitor inside.

Dipper grabbed his bag, stuffed the wallet in a secret pocket, and walked off the plane into the airport. Once walking across the bridge, he was greeted with the world of people, sunlight, and being on the ground once more.

He traveled around, trying to find any place that would convert just a couple dollars to British money. After seeking one for what seemed like an eternity, he sat down and sighed. Maybe this airport didn't have one? He saw an employee, and hurried over to ask where the currency converter was, until they pointed behind him. Sure enough, a large machine sat behind where he was sitting just moments ago. He began to laugh at his stupidity, and quickly changed about 5 dollars. He wouldn't need more than that.

Once he found a phone, he dialed Ford and Stan right away. A ring…a ring…a ring…and then

"Hello?"

"Oh my god, guys, it's so good to hear your voice."

"Hey Ford, come over here! Dipper's on the phone."

He could hear a muffled squeal resembling his name on the other line and gave a sigh of relief. Man, it felt good to hear such familiar voices.

"Alright kid, you're on speaker, catch us up to what you've been up to."

There really wasn't much to say, but Dipper went into detail about everything, including the dream that Bill had given him.

"Dipper, this is Ford. Are you sure that this was real, and not some fabricated origin story. I mean, what if he's trying to trick you again?"

"I don't think so. It felt like we were the same person, usually if Bill interrupts a dream he and I are separate entities. Besides, what would he be tricking me into? I'm already getting him a body."

Ford got quiet, and replied. "I'm not sure. But Bill doesn't do anything without a reason. Just stay on your toes. But, we do have some good news at least."

That's the exact thing Dipper needed to hear.

Stan butted in, excited to join this conversation now. "I'm getting better, kid! A whole lot."

Dipper wasn't sure what that meant. "That's… great, I guess?"

"No, Dipper! My memories are coming back, and there's a lot that I seemed I forgot I forgot. I'm more rambunctious than ever, better than even when you kids stayed with me. I feel alive now. I know I still have a lot to go, but man, it's like that deal you made is working!"

"Don't encourage him, Stan!"

"I'll encourage whoever I want! You're not the boss of me. I am Grunkle Stan, the Mystery Man!"

Dipper chuckled.

"I'm glad you're doing okay Grunkle. You too, Ford. I just can't wait to get this over with. I'm going to call Mabel after I'm done with you guys. She doesn't know about any of this still."

Stan laughed "She's gonna come home with a guy, and you're gonna come home traumatized!"

"Stan! That's not funny!"

"It is a little. We're all a little traumatized in this family. But just two questions for ya, Dipper."

"Alright, shoot."

"Are you going to tell your parents about all this?"

"Are you kidding me? I didn't even tell them about that last summer! The less they know, the better. I'll just say that you two got a free vacation, and I got to go with a friend I met there a few years ago."

"Yeah, that's a great friend you've got."

"What else am I going to say? I went to Paris to do some necromancy for a dream demon? They'd think I was doing drugs or something."

"Alright Dipper, that's fair. Here's my last question."

"Hurry, because my time for this call is almost done."

"What are you going to _do_ with Bill, once he's human?"


	16. Chapter 16

"Yeah, that is a great question, isn't it?"

Bill's voice startled Dipper, causing him to lose his footing on the tiled floor. Dipper fell right onto his back, and the items inside his carry-on backpack were scattered across the floor. A young woman walked by and saw Dipper lying on the ground with his essentials splattered everywhere. She helped him pick them up, and he flustered in response.

"I – I , er, um, t-thanks…?"

She giggled and said it was no big deal. As she picked up his journal lying on the ground, she stopped to wonder at it. Dipper modeled his journal after Ford's, but changed the six-fingered hand to a pine tree. It seemed to fit him much better. Loose papers and bookmarks were trapped within its pages, and like Pandora, the woman started to open it.

"NO, please! Please don't open that!" Dipper rushed towards her, and tried to grab the journal out of her hands. He ended up slipping again, and ran right into the woman, pushing both of them to the ground.

Dipper groaned and realized he was laying on top of that woman, which then he quickly jumped off and grabbed the journal in one swift move. The woman started to stare, and laughed for a second.

"Oh, you remind of someone I used to know. He had a journal like this, too."

Dipper smirked. There was _no_ way that she could know someone with a journal quite like this. Its candid secrets of the paranormal and unseen would be laughed at by anyone who wasn't familiar with Gravity Falls. He humored her instead. Dipper told her that he modeled the journal after a famous adventurer – Ford was famous in other dimensions – and that this adventurer discovered unseen and foreign lands no one had seen before him. Again, true, but Dipper left out the whole inter-dimensional part. She chuckled and said she was a doctor, but used to an archaeologist. She left her business card with him, supplying him with both her name and number. They parted ways as Dipper went back to the payphone he was using.

"Thanks a lot of that, Bill."

"Your customary greetings are boring. Where's the deer teeth? Where's the _pizzazz?_ "

"The what, now?"

Bill sighed. "You know, you could let me out of this wallet. It'd be nice to float around, walk around, see some dreams, make a deal or two."

"Bill. No offense, but everything you just said is exactly why I won't let you out. You know what? Full offense, I mean offense. I have a secret – I _hate_ you."

"That's not a fun secret."

"Nobody asked you, Bill."

"Let me tell a secret now, I have a _huge –"_

"Shut up Bill! I'm just going to open the wallet to put this business card inside, and there is no way in hell I will let you out of there."

"Is there a way in purgatory?"

"I don't – wait, is there a – THAT'S NOT THE POINT! Just stay in there real quick."

"Fine, but you gotta at least tell me her name."

"Why do you care? I've never heard someone with this name before anyway. Nora Jheselbraum is what's written."

Bill paused and mused. "I'd keep that card around if I were you."

"Why?"

"Because you can."

"That's not a good reason to hold onto anything, Bill. That's called being a hoarder."

"Well, I don't happen to have any pockets, except my eye socket, so…"

"You keep things in your EYE socket?!"

"And you don't, Pine tree?"

Dipper's head ached in pain. This stress caused him to wobble over dizzily until he found a seat. He slumped down and started to shut his eyes.

"I have to take a nap. Watch my stuff, and don't be in my dreams again."

Bill stuttered. "But, what, wait –"

"I don't care, Bill. Remind me though - I'll call Mabel first thing after I wake up. I wish I hadn't made this deal. I want to go home, but right now my dreams are the only place I can get away from you."

"But what about—"

"Good NIGHT, Bill."

Dipper fell asleep the moment his neck rounded the top of the seat cushion. His crossed arms and legs soon relaxed, and his breathing slowed. Bill wriggled around enough in the wallet in order to see out, since the wallet was in the front pocket of the backpack. He watched the people stroll by, hoping to get a glance at Nora.

Flashbacks of her and her army arriving to the Nightmare zone flooded his brain. The war that was fought, and where neither side won, were etched into his memory. He wouldn't tell Dipper about what had happened. Dipper knew a little about Bill's backstory, but Bill wasn't ready to give up all that information. He decided not to tell Dipper that Nora and Ford were companions, when Ford was still dimension-hopping. After all, where else did Ford get that metal plate screwed into his head? When they lived together, Nora told Ford the secrets she knew about Bill, and Bill wasn't ready to bring up those secrets. No, he'd keep Dipper safe for now.

After a while, he looked up at Dipper, and saw his relaxed face; not scrunched up like usual.

"Heh. I was going to warn him his flight's in 10 minutes. Guess he's going to miss it."

Bill snuggled inside the wallet, and kept watch for any signs of something supernatural.


	17. Chapter 17

Bill watched the people traveling. Some were old, some were not. Some were in a hurry, some were not. Some were frustrated, some were not. Some had suitcases packed to the brim, some did not. After a while, Bill stopped caring about these tiny humans, and thought about his adventures in this reality. Humans, after all these millennia, never seemed to change. Bill thought about his first visit to this dimension when a middle-aged woman sat herself down a seat away from Dipper. Bill couldn't see that much of her, since he was stuck inside the wallet, but he knew exactly who it was sitting there.

"How did you find me?"

"Don't think that just because I'm in this form I can't sense your presence, Bill. I just listen to the shattering of dreams, and track that path back to you."

"Oh, boo hoo, Nora. Unlike you guys, I'm not a stick in the mud. You're just too stubborn."

Nora sighed and peered around Dipper's belongings, looking for the one-eyed freak.

"I'm in the wallet, moron" exclaimed Bill, once he realized what she was doing. She searched until she found part of a leather-bound wallet sticking out of a single pocket in the front. Nora brought the wallet back to her seat and started rummaging until she found the dollar bill Bill latched himself onto.

"How come you got a human body? There wasn't anything wrong with your last form."

His wink was met with a sigh of disgust.

"Maybe it's because I'm kind and considerate, so people do what I ask when I need a favor? You should try being nice sometime, it works wonders."

"I'll pass, thanks."

"This young man you're traveling with, who is he? Why is he working for you…and why aren't you invading his dream? Isn't that your gig?"

Bill chuckled. He grabbed the ledge of the wallet and moved his body up to sit on the edge, ethereal legs dangling off the side. He rested his elbows on his knees, and crinkled his eyelid with his thumb and forefinger.

"Listen, kid. I'm not going to answer your first question, 'cuz then you're gonna kill me, and then him. Your other ones I'll answer, since I don't care what you think and you can't stop me anyways. I'm getting a body, and this knucklehead decided to take me to where I can regenerate. I need a certain body and certain … items to get this form I acquire. I'm not invading his dream right now because he asked me not to, end of story."

Nora took a second to breath, and chuckled slightly.

"Wow! You actually did what another person asked of you? Maybe you're starting to get some humility for once. Sounds like he's working _with_ you, not for you."

"Sh-sh-shut up! I could take you on; right here, right now! I can always possess your dreams instead."

"You can always haunt my dreams, but," she pounded on her head, making a clanking sound. "With this metal plate, you can't enter my mind like you used to."

Bill grumbled in frustration and brought his legs in closer to him.

"So, Nora, what do you think of me getting a human form?"

She snorted, and bellowed with a deep hearty voice that didn't sound like it came from her body.

"Oh honestly Bill, I couldn't care less. Since I know what way you're getting your form – that's not a very clean or very nice way at all, there's a reason it's banned in some dimensions you know – I also know that you won't be able to use your powers. Besides, your form will crumble after a while anyway. Who knows how long you'll be able to survive being in a body like that. My next question is this, what are you going to sacrifice to get what you want?"

Bill gathered his legs together with his arms, making himself as compact as he could. Unwavering, and without looking up, he softly answered.

"My home. They can't go on living like that, and neither can I. Those… shells need to be freed, and doing this will at least give them some peace. Hopefully, maybe one supernatural being can find them and bring them pity."

"You're sacrificing your own dimension and your people? Gosh, you're putting a lot into this. I hope you get a long time before your body's expiration."

Bill shuddered, and he felt a unfamiliar, yet known, wave of chills climb around his whole body. He wasn't sure what it was, but he couldn't stop shaking.

"Yeah, but it's worth it. A king isn't a king on an empty throne, and a god isn't a god without any souls to worship him."

Nora noticed Bill's condition of uncontrollable energy.

"Bill, you know what I think? I think that you're, for the first time in a while, experiencing emotion. I think that's fear, or apprehension, or whatever you wish to call it."

Bill slowly rotated his eye up to her direction, face furrowed as it could. "I don't experience emotion. I don't _feel_ fear. I _am_ fear."

"You, deciding to follow someone's directions and care about how they feel? That's unlike you. I think that you've burrowed your emotions for so long, you couldn't feel them anymore. I think now they're just all resurfacing. What about you?"

Silence.

"But what brought them out of hiding? What made the demon that controls others be controlled? Let me guess, it was that kid, wasn't it? He reminds me of Ford, but you have some sort of deeper connection, don't you?

Silence.

"Well, I'm heading off. I'm looking for Ford, you know where I can find him in this reality?"

Bill grumbled the word "Oregon," and Nora placed Bill back into the backpack. She then left, without any slight goodbye and leaving a very frazzled Bill behind. He slithered down into the wallet and curled himself up. Suddenly, he was yanked out of the leather wallet he had made himself comfortable in. Dipper dangled Bill from his fingers, holding onto Bill's arm.

"You didn't think I was awake? Now, you're going to explain a few things to me, then."

Bill gulped.

This would not be easy.


	18. Chapter 18

TEXQ FP TLOPB

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"Alright, now you are going to tell me everything," Dipper sneered while dangling Bill in the grasps of his fingers. Bill struggled to get away, but this came to no avail. Escape seemed impossible. Bill finally gave up and remained motionless for a while. Finally, he gazed over at Dipper.

"What do you want to know, Pine Tree? It's not like it matters to you or anything."

"She knew Ford! How does _that_ not apply to me?" Dipper flung Bill across the airport. A little squealing sound following the yellow triangle, and it ricocheted off the opposing wall. In due time, the ominous triangle made its way back over to Dipper.

"What happened to the scared and anxious kid, huh? You're just grumpy now."

"Well, jokes on you. I'm still anxious all the time, and as awkward as ever. You just seem to piss me off more than anyone else."

"Oh, come now. That's not very nice."

Dipper shrugged. "Like I care what you think of," he remarked as he slowly leaned into the triangle, placing his forehead just inches away from Bill's eye. "Now you're going to tell me _exactly_ what I want to hear."

Bill sighed. There was no getting out of it. This kid was persistent.

"You asked, so I'm going to tell bluntly and honestly. No more questions after this.

Nora is a …. Friend of Ford's. Back when Sixer was doing his interdimensional vacation, he met her. She's an old foe of mine. I tricked her in a similar way as I tricked Sixer, and she wanted revenge. Hundred years or so goes by, and she sparks up a rebellion. Had a pretty good amount of followers, and they came barreling into my dimension – tormenting my friends and all. Since my 'friends' can't really do much without instruction, they were getting the time beat out of them. To keep my friends safe, I fought Nora head on. She was completely outside her league.

Not only were we in MY dimension with MY rules, I still had access to her mind. I got around and toyed with it a bit, until finally she surrendered and never came back.

My guess is that Nora was hoping Ford would be the one to kill me, and I watched as she taught him everything she knew. That metal plate in Pointdexter's head? That was her. Anyway, she found some way to become human – probably one of the contacts she had during the rebellion. But I can't a human form the same way. I need the Resurrection Stone and that certain body.

Why? I'm a demon and don't want to face any supernatural beings that might … not be too happy with me. She may be what you call an 'alien,' but she's still mortal. I'm not.

To become human, I needed to exchange something precious to me. Something that I had been holding onto for a long time. Luckily for me, I had something that I needed to pass on. My friends.

Their charred and shattered souls… I can't stand it anymore. They're not _them._ I'm hoping that when they pass on, someone will reach pity on them; hopefully even land them in a spot in Hell. They need to be free, and me holding them is more painful than anything else. I may never get my final death, but I want them to at least be free and die. That's the best I can do for them.

So I'm giving it up. All of it. My dimension. My friends. If this fails, I have nothing to return to. But I'm ready for that. Being the king of a world in shards doesn't do it for me anymore. I want to be free.

So that's that. I'm sure she's meeting up with Ford, and I'm sure I'll get my form soon. That's that."

After taking a moment to process all that information, Dipper stretched his arms and legs, then grabbed his backpack and started walking. He walked around the west wing, then the east. No destination, just walking. Each step seemed to be filled with silent judgement. Bill couldn't read Dipper's thoughts, and stayed inside the wallet Dipper had tucked in his fingers. He made his way around the entire airport, until he landed at the payphone where he called Ford. His shaking fingers reached around the phone, and nervously he pushed the numbers leading to Mabel's phone.

Waiting

Waiting

Waiting

Bill heard her finally pick up. Dipper became loud and excited to hear from his sister, and started speaking with a happiness Bill hadn't seen for a while. Dipper leaned against the wall, and laughed to the adventure Mabel was sure to be telling on the other end. Anywhere could be an amazing adventure with her. He paced around quickly once they started talking about old friends, and their excitement for community college. They talked about the universities they wished to go to after their two years, and laughed at their old fears of what high school would be like, and what it was actually like. Mabel got her musical numbers and enthusiasm, since she joined the high school drama team, as well as any other club that peaked her interest. She lost count of how many clubs she was in, and constantly found herself running around the campus. Dipper joined the clubs that Mabel hated, but they shared one – the school's "DUEGEONS, DUEGEONS, AND MORE DUEGEONS" club. They reminisced their adventures, and the friends they had found.

After about an hour, Dipper became nervous and fidgety. It seems Mabel asked something of Dipper he didn't wish to share.

A few deep breaths, and Dipper slowly began to share his adventures, starting from stepping off of the bus and being called in the forest. It seemed like so long ago that a statue called to him, and a voice from beyond asked to make a deal. As he began to talk, his voice started to crack and finally everything got to him. He transitioned to the last conversation he had with his great uncles in Gravity Falls, and slowly tears began to swell and run down his porcelain skin. His cheeks and eyes began to change from their usual hues to a deeper, darker red. He told Mabel how much he missed her, and how terrified he was. Alone, across the world, on the way to create a body to hold the demon that tried once to kill him. Mabel must have reassured him, because soon his tear-speckled face began to smile sweetly.

He paced around once more, and wiped the redness and wetness from his face away. He said he would call Mabel once he got to France, and that he would have to catch another flight, since he missed his last one. They ended the call on a "Pat, pat" and hung up. Dipper flung the backpack over his shoulder, and began to walk towards the check-in center, where he bought a new ticket whose plane was due in three hours. Until then, he just walked. He was quiet, but said only one thing.

"They're your friends, its your rules. It's your own dimension. I don't blame you. But I'm going to get that body for you, and then I'll go home and be with the ones who love me. Once this is over, and I'll get this down as quickly as I can, I'm being with my family for the rest of the summer."

Bill didn't respond, and wondered what it would be like to be loved.

A good feeling, he decided.

He was hoping he could feel that soon.


	19. Chapter 19

Dipper waited for a stand-by to Paris, and got some food to eat while he waited. He was tired of sitting, and knew he would sit again soon, so he wandered around the airport as he slowly ate a fast-food burger and fries. It was cheap and warm, and it felt good to have something in his stomach again. It helped clear his mind, and re-evaluate what he had learned recently. As he walked he could catch glimpses of his wallet peeking out of his pocket, and would remember who was dormant inside. After a while, he just put wallet into his backpack, and continued to walk.

TXP PEB OFDEQ

He began to think. Why didn't Ford tell Dipper about anything on his dimensional journey? Why did Ford keep secrets about Bill and this…Nora from him? What else was Ford keeping, and what was Bill hiding from him? Dipper flashbacked to a phrase he once saw as a singular truth.

TRUST NO ONE

Mabel taught him to abandon that, and there were people to trust. Her, Wendy, Soos…Dipper shook his head as if to erase the negative thoughts out of his head. He couldn't let thoughts like this inhabit his head. They became dangerous. No, he wouldn't get upset at Ford. There had to be some reason for the secrecy.

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Finally! A seat available! It was in the back corner of the plane, near the lavatories, but Dipper would take anything he could get. He knew he had a way to get a better seat but, he really didn't want to pull _him_ out right now. At least this way they'd get to Paris faster and sooner the better. He rushed onto the flight, and swung into the backrow. Luckily, he was alone in his row. He stretched his feet out, and watched as the plane took off. As it launched forward into the air, the world outside the plane turned into a blur, and the buildings grew smaller and smaller.

XJ F EFAFKD MXOQ LC JB

As the plane ascended into the clouds, Dipper grabbed his journal out and started rereading old notes. He looked back at the mysteries of being 13, and the dangers of high school he feared at the time. Dipper chuckled. High school was such a broader experience than he ever imagined, and although he had some regrets, he enjoyed his time and the friends he made. The old photos taken on Kodaks of both old and new friends made Dipper gain a bittersweet smile. He'd missed them in college, but was sure he would call them every week or so.

F QOV QL OBXZE ALTK XKA PBB TEXQ F ZXK CFKA

He flipped to the last filled page, and turned it over to a cream-covered canvas. Dipper grabbed his pens, highlighters, and sticky notes to describe the events that entailed his summer so far; everything from stepping off the bus to being on the plane now. What a trip it had been, and it wasn't over yet. Paris is where the real action would start.

YRQ QEBOB'P KLQEFKD

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Man, Paris. He hadn't really thought about the whole "body" part of it all. Bill said they would use a body that's premade… the corpse of someone who had once lived. What would that entail? How would it turn back into a living thing? How long ago had this guy died, and what the hell was a Resurrection Stone. As Dipper flustered to write as fast as his mind was thinking, he realized that his frustration was turning into excitement. He was going to find out a lot of answers soon.

QEBOB EXPK'Q YBBK

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The plane finally landed, and luckily this flight had been shorter than the one from Portland to London. Dipper rushed to put his items back in his bag, and made sure he got everything he needed. He swung his backpack over his shoulder and stood up, waiting for the rest of the people to leave.

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Slowly but surely his turn came, and the closer to the cockpit he got, the faster he felt his heartbeat. This was it.

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He thanked the pilots for flying and walked out of the airplane into the bridge with a skip in his step. His feet seemed to move a little faster.

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He walked into the airport and suddenly was surrounded in the basking light that shined through the windows. This was it.

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Dipper saw the signs in English, giving him directions as to which he would pick up his luggage. With both jitters and culture shock, he moved forward to grab his bag.

TBII, FQ'P YBQQBO QEXK CBBIFKD KLQEFKD.

Ah, perfect! He found it right away – both with his name, and all the possessions intact inside. He walked over and bought an English to French electronic translator, which helped him find a cab. This was it.

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Dipper just said "Eiffel Tower," as he didn't know what else to say. The taximan grumbled and supposedly swore in his native language. He reversed out of his parking area and started to speed towards the heart of tourist Paris.

F'J OBXAV.

He watched all the sights go by outside the window, and saw the beauty of all the landscape. As they left the airport and headed onto larger roads, Dipper rolled down the window for a bit to smell the fresh air. Even the scent of air felt different here, as if each breathe was spritzed with a hint of floral.

EB'P OBXAV.

They would be arriving soon. This was it.

IBQ'P AL QEFP.

And their journey truly began.


	20. Chapter 20

The driver took Dipper's crumbled up dollar bills, and grumbled at them as if they were old enemies. He turned around, and started snapping at Dipper. He couldn't tell what the Frenchman was saying, but his face and hand gestures indicated his displeasure just fine. Dipper felt inclined to grab his belongings and exit the cab. Once he was a good ten feet from the cab, the driver waved the money in the air and swore to that even Dipper could feel the intention of every single word. He quickly drove away, and scurried down the streets like a mouse in a maze.

"Huh. Wonder what I did to that poor guy. I didn't seem like _that_ bad a passenger." He grabbed a crumbled up map out of his pocket and looked at the intricately designed city. His landmark was easy, since before him stood a castle made of steel. The Eiffel Tower was a huge "You are Here" sign. The streets seemed to trickle in an organized pattern on the map, but Dipper was found to be in utter disarray. He heard a strange muffled yelling from the interior of his bag. He leaned in, and sighed. He took out his wallet and out flew a huffing and puffing triangle.

"What do _you_ want?"

"Out of that * huff huff * forsaken wallet. Do you know how hard it is to breath between two pieces of sweaty hot leather?"

"I honestly didn't know you _could_ breathe."

"It's a figure of speech, Pine Tree. I'm just saying tha—"

"Wait. Do you breathe? Like, actually –"

"You know, I think there's other things to focus on rather than my respiratory system."

"But do you have one?" Dipper leaned in quizzically, peering in as if to feel a warmth emanating from Bill. He stood there for a second, and was met with nothing.

"I don't think so, kid. Anyway, back to business." Bill adjusted his crinkled and folded hat to be straightened once more. He swiftly grabbed his bow tie and spun it back to its original position. He stood up straight and then bowed towards Dipper, extending his arm out gracefully. "Let's go get that body."

Dipper furrowed his brow. "Please don't say that." He looked back down onto his map, and tried to understand the layout of the city. He scavenged around, trying to find the location he was seeking. Nothing seemed to jump out until he realized that he actually had no idea where he was going. He felt a looming shadow quietly judging him hovering over his shoulder.

"You don't know where you're going at all, do you?"

"No, not really," Dipper sighed and gave in. "Where the hell is this place, anyway?"

"Well," Bill replied as he lowered himself onto Dipper's shoulder and crossed one leg over the other, "where do you think you would find an old corpse that people couldn't find easily?"

"I don't know!" He slapped the map. "A cemetery, a graveyard, a church… or… or…."

Dipper grew silent as he focused on one area of the map.

"Or what, Dipper?"

"….A catacomb."

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"We have to dive into the catacomb? Like, go in there with all the bodies, and people, and ghosts… and, and, an—"

"Pinetree," Bill said as he moved towards Dipper and levitated in front of him. "You'll be fine. Nothing is gonna hurt you down there. Besides," he placed his tiny hands upon Dipper's clasped ones, "You're prepared for this. You've fought me, and you did alright."

"Thanks."

"No, seriously. You got this."

"WZR YDVW DQG WUXQNOHVV OHJV RI VWRQH

VWDQG LQ WKH GHVHUW. . . .

"Wait, do we walk or do we take a car?"

"What do you mean, Pinetree?"

"Well," answered Dipper as he pulled out the map again. "It's six kilometers away. How far is that in miles?"

Bill hovered over the map and peered at the key. "Geez kid, I don't know. I could figure it out in lightyears maybe, but I need something to write on…"

"Ah, that's swell! Lightyears! The perfect way to measure distance in a city! What else was I thinking? Kilometers is too confusing, let's just use lightyears instead because THAT'S SURE HELPFUL."

Dipper walked over to an English tour guide, taking long strides and putting more bounce into it than usual. They said something Bill couldn't quite hear, and Dipper continued talking to them for a bit. They chatted for a bit, and Dipper seemed to laugh at something the guide said. Dipper sauntered over back to Bill.

"It's about three miles."

"Okay, so are you walking or taking a car?"

This question was met with silence as Dipper's face fell.

"I…have no idea…"

"So, what are you going to do?"

QHDU WKHP, RQ WKH VDQG,

KDOI VXQN D VKDWWHUHG YLVDJH OLHV, ZKRVH IURZQ,

"Um…er…I…" Dipper took off his beanie and began to twist and fidget with it. He played with it in his hands and turned inside out, then right side back again. He pondered his options, and looked up with a sudden realization.

"We're gonna take that tour bus."

"Oh, you know, that's a great idea actually an—" Bill jumped. "Wait. What?!"

Dipper leaned towards Bill and got a sparkling look in his eye. "It makes so much sense! We'll sneak on, visit all the stops with them until they get to the tour of the catacombs! They'll think we're on the bus with them, so we can just walk right in!" His hands were frantically flying in the air as he illustrated his plan. "We'll separate ourselves from the tour group, and then find that dead guy!"

He smacked his fist into his open hand. "It's foolproof!"

Bill rolled his singular eye and slouched. "Fine, but this better work."

DQG ZULQNOHG OLS, DQG VQHHU RI FROG FRPPDQG,

WHOO WKDW LWV VFXOSWRU ZHOO WKRVH SDVVLRQV UHDG

It worked.

ZKLFK BHW VXUYLYH, VWDPSHG RQ WKHVH OLIHOHVV WKLQJV,

WKH KDQG WKDW PRFNHG WKHP, DQG WKH KHDUW WKDW IHG;

The two of them slipped into the group and worked their way into the catacombs. Dipper followed the tour guide around every twist and turn, and tried to not focus on the skulls of those deceased around him. Their sockets seemed to look down on him and judge his actions. The farther down they went the more each and every hair on his arms stood up a little bit more. The narrator of the tour danced through rooms and halls, with an ensemble of people from many nations following him. On the last room of the tour, Dipper started to walk into the meeting area. He was harshly and quickly yanked by his arm sleeve out of the room.

"It's this way. I can feel it," Bill stated.

He led Dipper deeper and darker down these catacombs, and Dipper wondered if the people who even worked here knew about all this. The skulls themselves slowly began to change. Ones with images and old ruins tattooed on their foreheads complemented the ones who were covered in mysterious substances. Bones of all sorts of types began to appear, and soon even full skeletons would appear, like old dinosaur bones. Dipper did his best to avoid crunching and cracking these old bones. Quietly, he heard Bill speak again after some time.

"Mason Pines, there is another deal I would like to make with you."

Dipper stopped in his tracks. Nobody, not even Mabel, used his real name. The goosebumps that blanketed his entire body seemed to heighten, and even the hairs on the back of his neck were on hinge. His heart began to beat.

"I cannot use my powers once I become human. I have to make this deal now so it can work."

Bill turned to Dipper with his arms crossed behind his back.

"I can give you wealth. Wealth enough to attend a university. For Mabel too. So you're not stuck at some C-list place like Sixer was. You have to promise me you will only use that money for learning, however."

"What's the catch here, Bill?"

Bill looked down at the ground before answering. "I want you to make sure I can stand on my own two feet when I'm human. Help me work out the kinks, you know? And…a-an-and…"

Bill began to shake.

"I want you to take me back to Gravity Falls when I'm human."

Dipper just stood there, both in amazement and awe.

D QG RQ WKH SHGHVWDO, WKHVH ZRUGV DSSHDU:

"You want to go back there? For WHAT? To taunt those people again? To harass my family again?" Dipper wasn't sure what to make of this offer, but he needed to see what kind of cards Bill would play. He had been deceived before, and didn't want that to happen again.

"No, I – uh, that's not it." Bill brought his arms forward and began to lock and interlock his fingers together. "I feel like if I can find anyway to become as human as possible, and to feel any kind of emotion, that's the place to be." He looked at Dipper, and this was the first time in a while that they had locked vision like this. Bill looked into Dipper's eyes with a sense of sincerity. "I've committed a lot of fouls, and I can't move forward until I confront them. I've ran away from so much. Hell, even now I'm running away from my damnation. I'm running away from my own mistakes. I've always been. Maybe I'll find a way to mend some kind of damage I have done in my time." He reached out his arm. "Deal?"

Dipper stared at it, pondering with doubt. Was this sincere as he thought? Would Bill lie to him once more. He closed his eyes. No, this was different. Bill had no leverage anymore. He opened his eyes and looked at the triangle in front of him. Bill did not have any power over him. Bill didn't seem to hold a lot of grandeur or ethereal sovereignty anymore. Maybe Bill could right his wrongs. Maybe this could go right. He stretched out his arm in response. "Deal."

They shook, and a quick blue flame enveloped this action. They both stood for a bit, with the only sound being the echo of wind blowing into this cavern. Bill finally spoke.

"This is it.

At the end of this hallway, take a right. It'll seem to be a dead end, but underneath some bones at the far wall there is a door. In there is the body. We're going to head in there, and that's when the real action starts.

Are you ready?"

PB QDPH LV RCBPDQGLDV, NLQJ RI NLQJV;

ORRN RQ PB ZRUNV, BH PLJKWB, DQG GHVSDLU!

Dipper sighed. "More than I'll ever be."

QRWKLQJ EHVLGH UHPDLQV.

They turned to the right to see what appeared to be a dead end. Dipper could make out the faint rectangular outline of a door underneath a pile of bodiless skulls.

"We're here," Bill said.

URXQG WKH GHFDB

RI WKDW FRORVVDO ZUHFN, ERXQGOHVV DQG EDUH

WKH ORQH DQG OHYHO VDQGV VWUHWFK IDU DZDB."

"This,

Is Dante's Street."


	21. Chapter 21

Dipper trudged through the hallway full of flooding skulls, and pushed on the door with all his might. He felt the creaking and groaning of the boards until they came to and smashed. The molding boards led way to the ancient room. Dipper stepped through the door and Bill hovered through. Bill stopped suddenly and curled up.

"Her….." His form was glitching and his two-dimensional form seemed to become translucent for a couple seconds.

Dipper turned around. "Ar-are you okay?"

"hrgh, yeah, keep going. It's just happeni-NG because of the room and the Stone."

Dipper peered into the room and what he saw chilled him to the bone.  
There, in the center of the room, was a giant circle with all sorts of geometric shapes and lettering. In the center of the perfect circle sat a skull, staring at him with its sockets, and one large lump, accompanied many other smaller lumps, decorated its head. On the sides of the wall there were sticks, which he assumed were torches at one point. Covering the walls were old sheets of papyrus, which hieroglyphics painted onto them, many with Bill's likeness. They appeared to be pealing, and Dipper was afraid of what laid underneath the paper. He turned behind him, and saw Bill glitching again, as if he was a file being manipulated on a computer. As if a television lost satellite connection, or a phone broke shattering the interior. His triangular shape changed forms second after second, turning into different kinds and shapes of three-sided polygons. Dipper could hear Bill breathing heavily, and sound of gritting teeth, excruciating to listen to.

Dipper made his way over to the skull that mocked him so, and swat away the dust and cobwebs covering it. Different kinds of gems illuminated and sparkled with the light of his flashlight. Jaspers, sapphires, emeralds, sardonyx, and types of opals. What appeared to be the largest stone, straight on the forehead, was one he had never seen before. It was as if it changed colors, a multitude of hues that leaped across the color wheel as often as it changed its cut. It felt alive. Dipper went to touch, but it produced an aura that made him reconsider.

"Alright, what do we do now, pinhead?," he asked Bill.

Through the gasping of breath and the moaning of pain, Bill muttered. "Take…some of that … blood… and draw a pine…tree…and a triangle… on each s…ide of your palms."

"THIS IS BLOOD?!" Dipper screamed as he jumped back and landed his back against the wall. He hit him hard and Dipper felt the room churn.

Bill hissed. "Hurry!"

Dipper crawled back over and drew the pine tree symbol that resided on his hat many years ago on the top of his left hand, and with steady fingers drew a triangle on his right side. He felt a hum, a vibration moving through the room like the air itself was starting to create energy. Bill shrieked and Dipper covered his ears, thankful he was the only person who could hear Bill's agony. One by one, the stones on the skull lit up, and radiated its colorful reflections on the papyrus walls.

Bill howled his name out "WILLIAM CIPHER, TRICKSTER AND CHAOS MAKER"

Dipper turned to him, who no longer kept any kind of form, and black claws scratching at what must be an eye were all Dipper could make out of his demon friend. Dipper hesitated, and called out his real name.

"DIP…MASON PINES!"

The circle of dried blood melted, and became liquid once more. The smell of iron flooded the room, and the blood, still in the shape of the alchemy circle, lifted itself off the floor.

"X-O-L-O-T-L!" A voice, more of a roar, cried out. "my time has come to transform! I invoke the ancient power that I leave this body to burn!" The hum in the room turned to a piercing sound, and the scarlet blood turned to a glowing cerulean. What sounded like a hundred mutilated screams filled the air. Dipper, still in the same place as before, crouched and covered his eardrums. The stone that refused to stay one shape and color lodged itself away from the skull and levitated in the center of the circle floating. Dipper felt his head pounding and his ears felt as if they had pierced. Yet, with the muted sound of screams, Dipper could hear a whisper in his head.

The torches, boy. Light the torches. Dipper stood up, dizzy, and drunkenly worked his way over to the first torch near him. With exasperated sighs, he took it off the wall and looked around for something to light it with. He saw Bill's interdimensional chaotic form, not triangular anymore but changed as often as the stone in the center of the room did. He plunged the torch into Bill's body(?) and immediately took it out. The fire lit now on the torch was red as a garnet, and Dipper hurried back to its original position on the wall. As Dipper struggled his way around the room, he lit each torch the same way, and each its own different color, creating a rainbow of fire across the room. The stone stopped changing forms, and turned into a glass pyramid. However, the reflection of the fire shot light inside, creating a rainbow within. In opposite of what Dipper knew to be true, it shot out pure, white light up to the ceiling. The light became liquid and began to drip onto the floor. It hugged Dipper's feet, and wormed it way up his body. Dipper tried to stomp his legs to get the light off, but the blinding parasite, chugged on forward on his body. Suddenly, all of the noise in the room had stopped. Dipper looked over, and saw that Bill was covered with the light, and was being dragged down to the floor. Dipper couldn't help the light that now paralyzed him, and flooded his lungs as he screamed out before the light swept over him. It went down his throat and tasted like milk and honey. But all he could see was white. White around him, and his body was no longer visible to him. Suddenly, the skull from the room flashed in the center of his vision. It moved towards him quickly, and it opened its jaws wide. Dipper had no time to react before he was launched into the jaws of the skull.


	22. Chapter 22

I am here.

I never was asleep. I was just…one second having the universe tearing each one of my atoms apart and yet squish them together at the same time, and the next, here. I felt my soundwaves of my screams liquify, fill my lungs, and drown me all the while. Yet, I am now strangely silent, in a solid white world that seems to have no bounds or walls. I look at my hands. Yes. It's me still, stuck in this two-dimensional form as usual.

I float forward. I can move freely here. Nice. I snap my fingers and try to create fire. Yet nothing comes out. In fact, none of my powers besides levitation work here.

"YOU WON'T NEED POWERSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS WHERE YOU'RE GOING, CCCCCCCCCCCCCCIPHER." A familiar voice echoes behind me.

There He Is.

The 1-24-15-12-15-20-12

His eyes are obsidian, and only the reflection of my bounded form created any sign of life in Him.


	23. Chapter 23

I can't feel my hands.

Or arms.

Or legs, for that matter.

I felt paralyzed, as if I was prisoner aboard some alien ship.

I've just been here, I don't remember waking up here or how I got here at all.

I've been just staring into space for a while now. I'm bored and I'm afraid if I stay here any longer I'll go crazy. Like those people in white rooms! I read about those in one of my books, and people go crazier than they really are in there.

I shudder. Hopefully I'm not crazy. Well, I might be. Could that be…?

It is. Bill. His back is turned to me and it seems as if he's okay now. Still a triangle, but at least he's not screaming anymore. He snaps his fingers, as if to a beat. But he is shaken, and moves back a little. Is he trying to use his powers at all? I go to snap my fingers, maybe I got them instead.

Oh, right. No hands. Maybe not then.

I hear myself speak, my mouth move, and yet my voice is not my voice that leaves my lips.

"YOU WON'T NEED POWERSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS WHERE YOU'RE GOING, CCCCCCCCCCCCCCIPHER."

He shakes and turns toward me slowly. He has an expression I haven't seen before on him, fear. Why would he scared of me? I'm just a teenage kid.

Bill speaks to me. "H-Hey! Long time no see!" Is that a joke?

"ISSSSSSSSSSSSSSS THAT A JOKE, CCCCCCCCCCCCIPHER?" My mouth moves, but a hissing voice low enough to rumble mountains bellows from me instead.

I try saying other stuff. Bill, it's me! Can you hear me? Hello…? I cannot speak. Am I not the one in control of me anymore?

"W-well," Bill stammers, "I didn't really think you'd come when I was stuck in that mindscape, a-and I knew you would come sometime after I called y-you, but now?" He fidgets and slouches, almost as if he is hiding from my sight. His eye turns to the floor and slowly back up at me. "Are you going to punish me?"

Call me? He has a phone?

"PUNISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSH YOU? AFTER YOU'VE ALREADY CORRUPTED AND DESSSSSSSSSSSSSTROYED YOURSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSELF?" A hearty laugh echoes from within me and makes the room vibrate. "YOU'VE ALREADY KILLED YOURSSSSSSSSSSSSELF, MY JOB IS DONE."

I turn around, but I don't want to. I'm not done. What does that mean? What did any of that mean? Where am I? And how do I get out?


	24. Chapter 24

Killed myself?

I look down at my hands, blackened from sin. I've given up my powers, my authority, my realm of the dreamscape, and soon my friends. Was this sacrifice for nothing? Was he going to leave me here and die? What about Dipper? What would happen to him? He's probably still in the room for me, waiting for me to show up in physical form. I clench my hands into fists. I'm not giving up. Not after everything I've sacrificed.

I speed up to match the pace of 1-24-15-12-15-20-12, and I demand attention. "NO!"

He turns to look at me. His eyebrows furrow and He centers on me. "No?"

My whole body is shaking. I haven't felt like this since he destroyed my home. He might kill me, and end it all here. But is there anything to live for at this point? A corrupted, useless shell of what I once was? I throw in all my bets. There's no going back now.

"I came here for a human body, and I will get that human body." I float right next to Him, until I am at the center of His focus. "Even if I have to rip it from your hands." I'm so scared, I'm terrified. I thought I was not able to feel emotion at all, but every part of my body is saturated in fear.

"HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM," He hums. He closes His eyes, and I can feel my end coming. My death is here. Faster than the snap of my own fingers. Faster than in a blink of in eye. I accept my fate.

"ALRIGHT. I'LL GIVE YOU A HUMAN FORM."

What?


	25. Chapter 25

Bill?! BILL?! I swear this isn't me talking to you. I don't mean these things I say.

"ALRIGHT. I'LL GIVE YOU A HUMAN FORM."

His eye widens as he stares directly at me. Is he scared, confused? I know I sure as hell am.

"R-really? Are you certain 1-24-15-12-15-20-12? What about the whole 'punishing me' and the 'I don't deserve to have a form anymore' and all that?"

1-24-15-12-15-20-12? What do those numbers mean? Is it a code?

I start with the first number. 1 could mean A. Good. Let's see, 24? A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,U,V,W,X…. AX? I work my way down the list.

Is this what I think he's talking about.

"A HUMAN FORM WILL TORTURE YOU MORE, CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCIPHER. YOU DO NOT LIKE TO BE BOUND TO CCCCCCCCCCCHAINS AND LAWSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS." I speak but I realize that I do know this voice. From my dream where I visited Bill's memories. And now I know why he's afraid of me. I finish the numbered name, and I am proven right. Now I'm even scared of me.

Am I in its mind? Just seeing things through its eyes?

"W-what about after the human form fades? Humans only live for a short time you know?"

Now that I know where I am, I can feel it thinking, pondering, as if my own head is being massaged. I realize our breathing is even connected, and I cannot take myself out of sync.

It continues. "YOU WILL DIE, AND I WILL TAKE WHAT REMAINS OF YOUR SSSSSSSSSOUL, AND SSSSSSSSSSSSHATTER IT." Holy cow. "YOUR SSSSSSSSSSHARDSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS WILL BE CELEBRATED OVER."

Bill lowered himself and furrows his eye, thinking.


	26. Chapter 26

I have to keep reminding myself that everyone in the universe hates me. Doesn't bother me that much – hey! I'm still a celebrity – but the way He spoke that last line, it felt like a curse that chilled whatever makes up my interior. I've never really imagined dying. I mean, I wouldn't go to Heaven or Hell, they both threw me out when I worked for them each. I'm sure they wouldn't take me dead. I would just…not exist.

At least I wouldn't be dragging in this hell of a dreamscape I live in. And my friends would be free of their curse, to live as deformed amalgamates of their previous selves. Maybe in that blink of death, I can remember what true freedom feels like.

"I'll play this game of yours. How long until I die?"


	27. Chapter 27

"How long until I die?"

S uddenly, a large number of cards lays out in front of me. Each one has a different symbol, so I can't tell which is what number. How long will I allow Bill to live? I might hate him, but I don't want all my efforts to go to waste that quickly. But I just can't tell which is what number, or if they even have time slots on any of them. They all seem alien to me. My mind focuses on one card in particular. I don't know what it means, but I hope its something.

The cards disappear, and the symbol that I had

Picked glows in between Bill and I. He seems

Apprehensive.


	28. Chapter 28

That long?

That's it?


	29. Chapter 29

And suddenly I see myself, I feel myself fall. Fall out of this white room and into an area of deep space. The nebulas spritz color into this wasteland, and I find myself scattered among stars. Clouds of dust float around me and I pet them softly, even though I know my hand will phase past them. Clusters of stars orbit, changing size and color. I forgot what this beauty was like. The power of creation, the power of the universe. It lured me to explore, create, and make shape my own realities. The universe is organized chaos, and it knows no bounds. I remember wanting to escape my own bounds and feel as free as this.

Then I see why I was drawn back to this place. To this corner of this dimension; of this reality.

1-24-15-12-15-20-12

I take a look, and even with His back towards me, I know this is the real one. His glistening scales that radiated light. The aura of light surrounding Him. The smell of a homemade meal, of fresh-grown grass and all the scents that all forms of life crawl to. The sense of warmness and comfort. This was a god; maybe not quite, but all the more power equal to one.

If this was the real one, then what was the one in the room? The one that I, Bill, spoke to? It doesn't matter. I shake my head as if to erase my head of thought. I know what I have to do.

I sneak over, quietly enough to not disturb Him. I get close, and can the glow of each scale, as if reflections of light off of a pool. They morph and swim around. I look for a scale loose. There's one now, dangling. I float over, and try to keep myself from getting caught. I place my hands around him. I shake. I heave a little, and it passively falls away. I hear a grunt, a snarl, and He begins to turn my way. I turn my body with His, so as He turns around my body still is hidden by His back. I hear Him scoff, and he relaxes once more.

I sigh, and float away, hoping to find some dying star or comet. The littlest comet flies past me, and I place my arms around it, blocking its path. It's smaller than me, and could nestle into the silk of my bowtie. This is the one. I bind the scale to the comet and begin work. I breathe in and close my eye.


	30. Chapter 30

And suddenly I see

And suddenly I see

And I am replaced

And I am replaced

Time is rewound

I feel like I am falling backwards

And now instead of Bill

And now instead of this beast

I take the form of the beast

I take the form of Bill

Was Dipper in here? Was he in control?

Was this Bill? Did he know more than I did?

No, he did not.

No, he did not.

This was some kind of twisted fate, some augmented destiny.

Is this what madness feels like?

Then

Then

Then we combine spirits

We fuse and like my dream we become once again

I take the scale

And I take the comet

And together it turns into a ball of clay

With a slow warm yellow glow we form some hands

Two legs and two arms

Two eyes and two ears

One nose and this blank canvas

Will soon host a spirit

The skeleton from the room

All the gems and all

Come from nowhere

And assert themselves inside, having found a new home

Here it is

The body

I

He

Will be human

And the world will change as we know it to be


	31. Chapter 31

Dipper sat up, gasping for air and clutching his stomach, sweating rolling off his forehead. Hair clung to his head from sweat, and his eyes dilated as he processed the information he had just been given. He decided to screw it, and not bother with it all. That had been too confusing, too weird.

Once he stabilized himself, Dipper looked around the room, and saw that the room had been returned to normal. Torches were lit, but their fire was colored normally, with their sunset oranges and fierce reds. The alchemy circle was on the ground, and the blood appeared to once again be dry. The only difference was that the skull was gone, and in the center of the room floating a glowing triangle.

Bill.

Dipper stared at it, and jumped as it began to change form. Its torso extended, arms grew joints, and legs gained knees. A neck with a head attached began to protrude, and with it came a nose and hair that flowed. It was as golden honey down the center, and the sides of the hair were jet black near the ears. The ears rounded themselves out, became points, and then round again – as if the ears were arguing with one another. Hands and toes were added, and then a sudden flash of light.

Dipper turned his head towards the corner of the room, and waited a second. He heard coughing, a wheeze, which slowed its way down to heavy breathing. He shook as he turned around to see what had become of Bill.

In the center of the room laid smoke, oozing off of a dark substance. The lump began to move, and the golden locks of hair moved with a dark mahogany body. Dipper could tell a faint outline of tattoos, which were black like in hair, only they were highlighted by gold. A knee came up, and a hand hoisted itself onto it. Dipper could see the chest moving, and watched as the golden silk fell up and down in tune with the breathing like a tide.

Eyes of aqua flashed up, and greeted Dipper, along with a white smile set with canines.

"B..Bill?," Dipper stammered.

The man in the middle of the room worked his way up into a stand and flexed his muscles, pointing his joints, clenched, and then unclenched his fingers once again.

"Gotta say, Pinetree," the man in the smile said with a sly grin, "This body is pretty deluxe."

Dipper watched in silence, in awe, in fear, in confusion, in an emotion he could not describe, as this new body of Bill's began to laugh manically and comb his fingers through his newfound hair.

He jerked forward towards Dipper, and quietly told him

"I'm back, baby."


	32. Chapter 32

Dipper started stammering. "I-It worked?"

Bill cackled, and stared at Dipper, deep down through his iris into his core. "Work? This body is deluxe!" He floated his arm up to Dipper's eye level, and clenched his muscles. As he brought back his hand to wipe hair away from his new face, he turned his hand over to show Dipper both sides of his palms.

"And it's permanent, too."

Dipper wiped the sweat away from his forehead as Bill walked away, facing his back to him. He stared at Bill's back tattoos and thought to himself.

 _What did I do?_

 _Ford's gonna kill me._

Bill stretched, and lifted his arms as far as he could above his head. He yawned as he did, and knelt down to study the circle.

"So, did you experience all that limbo jumbo too, Pinetree?"

Dipper was taken aback. "I, uh, yeah… I was. I DID, I mean… it-it was all a lot…" He fluttered through his words and fidgeted with his hands; the stress of the situation overloaded him.

Bill looked up towards Dipper after tracing the alchemy circle with his fingers. "Yeah, uh…" he furrowed his eyes. "You telling Ford about all that?" He moved his fingers to the middle of the circle, where the skull used to be. "Problem is, I'm not sure what really happened in there either. That was beyond my power. Speaking of which…" Bill grunted and hoisted himself off the ground, as if standing had become exhausting. Standing straight up, he took in a gulp of air and closed his eyes, concentrating. He extended his arm and outreached his palm. Shaking, he moved his fingers together and snapped.

Nothing happened.

He opened his eyes and chuckled. "No powers. No powers at all anymore. That's a funny feeling."

Dipper filled up more and more with dread. He sat on the floor with his legs extending beyond him. He sat and contemplated.

 _Why did I make this deal? Oh yeah, Stan and Mabel and Ford and me…I wonder what they'll say to this? And I promised to take Bill BACK? For college money? Jeez, I don't know how this situation could get worse._

"Hey, uh, Pinetree?" a familiar voice inquired.

Dipper returned to reality and replied. "Yeah?"

A pause. "You have any extra clothes at all?"

In that moment Dipper realized Bill materialized without clothes, and was completely, and utterly, naked.

 _That's how it could get worse._

Dipper immediately yelped and moved his hand over his eyes as he fumbled and crawled to the other side of his room with his backpack. He tossed out a set of similar clothes to the ones he had on. "P-please," he begged, "put some clothes on."

Bill came over and knelt to grab the clothes off the floor. As he stood up, he said in Dipper's ear. "Well, that's kind of why I asked, didn't I?"

Dipper jumped as everyone hair stood up on his body and crawled up into a ball. Bill walked to the far end of the room and began to put on the clothes. It appeared they fit Dipper better than it did he, since Bill had a slightly larger build and was taller than him. The baseball tee came up to his elbows, and highlighted Bill's biceps. The jeans rode up beyond the ankle, and clung to his body. "Well," he concluded, "I'll have to get something else to wear once we're out of here, but at least it's something."

Dipper opened his eyes and his eyes grew wide. He stared for a few seconds, and once he had realized what he was doing, he immediately fumbled back over to his backpack and organized everything.

"Alright Bill, I don't have any extra shoes, so you're just going to have to walk barefoot until we can get you something at a store back on the surface."

"It's alright, Mason. It won't the first time I've walked on broken skulls."

Dipper grimaced once at his first name being used, and again at Bill's last comment.

"Guess we're really doing this." He took his flashlight and opened the door, as Bill began his journey to the surface of the world.


	33. Chapter 33

They twisted and winded their way through the catacombs to the surface, trying not to get caught by any tour groups or security they send at the end of the groups. Rights, lefts, and dead ends stretched on for hours, and neither could tell how long they had been in there. They turned around a corner, and Bill whispered to Dipper suddenly.

"It'll probably look less suspicious if we come back out with a tour group than if we come out the two of us."

Dipper decided this was reasonable, and they jumped into the next group they could find. They walked, but were silent. Soon, a thimble of light illuminated the catacombs, and the group was returned to the outside world. Bill's eyes filled up with light, and pumped two fists in the air.

"I can't believe it! I'm alive!" He sniffed in the fresh air, and exhaled with a smile. He twirled, as if to show off to Dipper his new body. Dipper grumbled at him, and stated, "Alright, bucko, let's find you some shoes. Anything else we need grocery shopping?" Dipper's stomach growled loudly. It had been a while since he ate last. It had been in the airport in the United Kingdom, and that had been…how long had it been?

Dipper checked his phone to see the date in time.

It had been three days since they entered Paris.

Dipper ran his fingers through his hair and began to worry. Three days? Do you know what could have happened in three days? Stan and Ford probably were worried sick. Mabel had messaged him pictures of her own vacation, but he was too nervous to comment on her adventure. Oh no. What would MABEL say about all this? He'd been so worried about Stan and Ford…would he have to tell MOM?

Bill slid over. "Hey cool cat, what are you checking out?" He bent over to lean his chin on Dipper's shoulder, and jumped back.

"What was that all about?," Dipper asked to a fallen-over Bill.

"Well," he chuckled in reply, "I'm not used to being able to physically touch things." He sighed, and then was startled by Dipper's hand reaching out to help him out. He grabbed onto Dipper's hand and hoisted himself up. "So, where are we going now?"

Dipper lifted up his phone and stated "We need clothes for you, and I need food."

Bill cocked his head. "Food?"

Dipper pinched the bridge of his nose with his forefingers. Gah, was everything going to be like this? Bill replied with an eager face. "Soda, arsenic, and gasoline are all foods right?" His face lit up. "I wonder what arsenic tastes like with a human mouth!" He closed his eyes and grinned, while Dipper stared at him grimacing.

"Jesus, Bill, you can't…you can't eat arsenic. Or gasoline for that matter. W-What..?" Dipper paused contemplating. "What made you think arsenic was okay?"

Bill shrugged and walked over towards a civilian. "Seems like humans don't know how to have a good time." He then began to speak to the strange woman, and turned his back to Dipper. Dipper, going red in the face, stormed over to Bill to pull him away from the conversation. Right before he was about to pull on Bill's sleeve to leave, the woman smiles and chuckled, hiding her mouth with her hands. He looked over at Bill, who winked at the woman. He began to speak a language to her, and took her hand to kiss it. She replied with a kind smile, and blushed at his romantic touch. He winked at her once more, and finger-gunned himself away.

Dipper was blown away.

"W-was that… French?" he quizzically asked Bill.

Bill looked down at him as they both walked towards a bus station. "I speak many languages, Pinetree. You have to remember I've been the idol of people all over space and time." He checked to see the number sign on the bus station stop, and nodded as if to agree. "I understand you live with time being linear, but for other…powerful beings time is as easy to bend as space," he said to Dipper calmly. He happily sighed. "I'll have to get used to that too."

Dipper looked down at his phone to check the time, and then up at Bill. "So, what are we doing her?"

"The wonderful woman was very sweet, and told us where we can get clothes and some food. We'll just take this bus here to the stop."

"What's this…store called?"

"Monoprix, I think she called it. Compared it to American Target. Can't say I know what that exactly means, but…"

"Oh! Like Target, then."

"…Yeah."

They stood awkwardly until the bus came, and it arrived shortly. They walked inside and Bill took a window seat, Dipper next to him. Once the bus began to move again, Dipper easily dripped into sleep and used Bill's shoulder as a pillow to lean on. Bill, now embarrassed and uncomfortable, began to review what had happened earlier in the room. He furrowed and wondered if Dipper knew how long Bill had in this body, or if he was oblivious. He looked at the top of Dipper's head, and decided not to bring it up. He wouldn't want Dipper to know, if he didn't know already. Bill began to hear sharp inhales followed by melodic exhales, and knew Dipper was asleep for sure. Bill looked at his hand. Five fingers, and lines that cluttered it. He heard one time that the lines on people's hands could tell their past, present and future. He wondered what his would say.

He decided to take his fingers and massage them through Dipper's hair, while looking out the window, into this strange yet familiar world he was now a part of.


	34. Chapter 34

Ford sat quietly and stared out the window, hypnotized by the rain. It beat gently down on the glass and created mystic pools in the driveway to the Mystery Shack. He held his cup of coffee close to him, keeping him warm. The handle was roomier than most cups; Mabel had made this mug for him specifically in a pottery class. He smiled as he drank his black potion, as the sparkles reminded him of Mabel each time he brought it out of the cupboard.

"You thinking about Dipper?"

Ford jumped as Stan sat down unexpectedly with a glass of orange juice and the morning's sopping wet newspaper. Stan stretched out the paper on the table, in hopes to dry it out.

"I sure am."

Ford sighed and peered out the window once more.

"Yeah."

Stan reached over and placed his hand on Ford's shoulder. "He'll be fine," he assured Ford. "He's dealt with these kind of things before, and you've had him as a teacher. The kid knows what he's doing." He gently smiled, and wondered in his mind whether he was reassuring Ford more, or himself.

Stan's brother turned to him and scowled. "You don't know what Bill is like. I've had him possess me, rule me, invade my mind, and –"

"If you don't remember," Stan interrupted, "I have kind of an idea." He thunked his head, as if to remind Ford of that summer years ago.

Ford looked down and tried reading the wavy newspaper headings upside down, taking his mind off the edge. "Yeah," he muttered, "I guess you kind of do… I just assumed most your memory went away with that with…"

Stan stared at Ford. "With what, the rest of my memory?"

"Well, yeah."

Stan did nothing but looked at Ford for a few seconds. Then, after the piercing silence, he bellowed out a huge and hearty laugh.

"For my brother who's the nerd and got all those science awards, you can be _real_ stupid sometimes." He cackled, and Ford chuckled in.

They sat there, drinking their breakfast down and admiring the rain. Stan stood up and moved his dishes to the sink. "You know, I don't know why I bother with that newspaper. I know I won't be able to read it when all the ink flows everywhere. Yet I still feel like I should try, even though in my mind I remember it will all disintegrate anyway."

Ford looked at the newspaper and back up at Stan cleaning out orange juice of a week-old cup. "You think that's how Dipper feels?" Stan looked back at Ford quizzically. "I mean, he's got to know that giving Bill human form is going to end in disaster. Doing anything with Bill ends in disaster, actually. But still, he's got to have some hope it'll turn out okay. Otherwise he wouldn't have said yes."

Stan took Ford's cup away to wash it and smiled sadly. "Yeah, yeah I guess so."

Suddenly, there was a pounding at the Mystery Shack's door. It startled both Ford and Stan, and the two turned to each other as if to ask which one would answer it. Stan laughed. "It's your turn, sixer! I only got boxers and a wife-beater on. You're dressed."

That was fair logic.

Ford walked towards the door, curious about the kind of tourist who would be visiting the shop. He hesitated before turning the handle. How would he tell them the Shack was closed today? He was never good at people, nor was he good at rejection. There's a reason Nora and him…

Nevermind.

He turned the door and started to begin an elaborate excuse for why these delightful people could not stay today until he was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Hey Great Uncle Ford!" Dipper's trademark grin greeted Ford. "I'm back! And I brought someone with me."

Dipper backed off the front porch to reveal a dazzling stranger. Golden and obsidian hair twisted together in a low ponytail. Sepia skin was decorated with denim, a white collared button-up shirt with a black T-shirt on top. The tall stranger slightly bowed to Ford, and Ford was taken aback. Who…was this?

"Ford I'd like to introduce to you someone you're pretty familiar with," Dipper stated as he popped back into the picture. Ford shot his eyes back and forth between Dipper and the stranger. C-could it…

"Nice to see you in person, Sixer," the stranger remarked.

Ford's eyes grew in realization and the shock was so great, he fainted right there in the doorway.


End file.
